Questions Review for Exam 1:
1. Overview the details of Jupiter beginning to migrate inwards, including possible causes and
effects. Describe the final state of our Solar System in this case.
2. What is the difference between proper motion and radial velocity of a star?
3. How does Kepler find planets, and what two properties of the planet determine its detectability
for Kepler?
4. The extrasolar planets that have been discovered are mainly on elliptical orbits, whereas the
planets in our Solar System are on circular orbits. Explain why there might be a difference.
5. Overview all of the reason for why extrasolar planets may be more numerous around stars
with high metal content.
6. Why is it easier for larger planets to form far from away the central star rather than near to it?
7. Explain one observational and one theoretical reason as to why our Solar System is different
than those discovered with exoplanets.
8. Describe ways in which a planet may begin to migrate in towards the center, and also why it
would stop migrating.
9. Why do the radial velocity techniques only measure a minimum mass for the planet?
10. Why does the Kepler mission only detect planet candidates that then need to be follow-up
later to determine the planet mass?
11. Explain the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
12. What is the fundamental reason why the chair you sit on stops you from falling right
through?
13. Explain how the uncertainty principle leads to virtual particles.