astronomy

RX J0911.4+0551

RX J0911.4+0551 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand RX J0911.4+0551 rather than just read about it. In short: RX J0911.4+0551 is a gravitationally-lensed quasar located in the constellation of Hydra. It has a high redshift of (z) 2.800 and was first discovered by astronomers who were conducting the ROSAT All-Sky Survey in 1997.

Key takeaways

RX J0911.4+0551 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect RX J0911.4+0551 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of RX J0911.4+0551 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

RX J0911.4+0551 is a gravitationally-lensed quasar located in the constellation of Hydra. It has a high redshift of (z) 2.800 and was first discovered by astronomers who were conducting the ROSAT All-Sky Survey in 1997. This is a radio-quiet object with an X-ray luminosity of 4.1046 ergs.

Description RX J0911.4+0551 is a quadruped imaged quasar with a wide angular separation of 3.1 arcseconds. When imaged by high resolution imaging by both Nordic Optical Telescope and New Technology Telescope, it is found to be split into four images and lensed by a foreground galaxy located at a redshift of (z) 0.769. The lens galaxy is described as elongated based on I-band imaging; apparently looking like as an edge-on spiral with a bright nucleus and elongated diffused disk, according to near-infrared imaging. This lensed galaxy is known to be located in a galaxy cluster which in turn displays an extreme shear distortion for this lensing effect. The optical light curves of the components of RX J0911.4+0551 showed it has time delays. Based on results, the time delay is found significantly short with a period of 146 ± 8 days between the two observed components identified as A and B. The component (B) is found to be the leading component. Raw and deconvolved imaging by Chandra X-ray Observatory also showed it as extended along east to west direction. An emission profile made up of a bright component was also found located southwest of B, being stretched towards the quasar's direction. The host galaxy of RX J0911.4+0551 is described to be young galaxy in stages of evolving without indications of a major merger. It has a star formation rate of 140 M☉ yr−1 and found to produce a molecular outflows reaching a rate of 180 M☉ yr−1 indicating the large fraction of gas would be depleted within a lifetime of 100 million years. Observations by the Plateau de Bure Interferometer also showed the host's low gas mass is 2.3 ± 0.5 × 109 M☉ and it has a total far-infrared luminosity rate measuring as 7.2 ± 1011 L☉. The host also has a carbon monoxide (CO) (5-4) line profile displaying a compact structure based on observations by Atacama Large Millimetre Array, with a full width at half maximum measuring 133 ± 3 kilometers per seconds. Several absorption line systems located at redshifts of (z) 2.790, 2.42 and 2.63 have been identified in the quasar's A and B spectra. Since these absorption lines display a velocity dispersion of around 1,000 kilometers per seconds, the quasar has a mini broad absorption line. A rapid flare has been detected by Chandra with a duration of 2,000 seconds in November 2000.

References

External links RX J0911.4+0551 on SIMBAD NED Search results for RX J0911.4+0551

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with RX J0911.4+0551

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what RX J0911.4+0551 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to RX J0911.4+0551 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about RX J0911.4+0551 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of RX J0911.4+0551

In research: RX J0911.4+0551 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses RX J0911.4+0551 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: RX J0911.4+0551 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Hydra (constellation), Quasars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for RX J0911.4+0551 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study RX J0911.4+0551 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what RX J0911.4+0551 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain RX J0911.4+0551 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is RX J0911.4+0551 in simple terms?

Why does RX J0911.4+0551 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study RX J0911.4+0551?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on RX J0911.4+0551.