Katherine Freese — Questions and answers

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Who is Katherine Freese, according to the text?

Choices

  1. A theoretical astrophysicist who studies dark matter and dark energy. ✓
  2. An astronaut who travels to distant galaxies.
  3. A physicist who invents new kinds of telescopes.
  4. A scientist who studies tiny plants on Earth.

Answer: A theoretical astrophysicist who studies dark matter and dark energy.

From page 1

What did Vera Rubin's observations show about stars at the outer edges of galaxies?

Choices

  1. They were orbiting too slowly.
  2. They were made only of gas.
  3. They were orbiting too fast, suggesting unseen matter was pulling them. ✓
  4. They were flying off into space all the time.

Answer: They were orbiting too fast, suggesting unseen matter was pulling them.

From page 2

What percentage of the universe is made of ordinary matter, according to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) measurements?

Choices

  1. 27%
  2. 68%
  3. 5% ✓
  4. 380,000%

Answer: 5%

From page 3

What are two main categories of dark matter candidates that Katherine Freese helped to explore?

Choices

  1. Invisible planets and bright stars.
  2. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs). ✓
  3. Giant telescopes and tiny atoms.
  4. Supernovas and black holes.

Answer: Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs).

From page 4

What do particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) try to do to find dark matter?

Choices

  1. They try to observe distant galaxies.
  2. They try to create dark matter particles by smashing protons together. ✓
  3. They try to measure the temperature of the universe.
  4. They try to find old space rocks.

Answer: They try to create dark matter particles by smashing protons together.

From page 6

What are 'dark stars' as proposed by Katherine Freese?

Choices

  1. Stars that are very old and dim.
  2. Stars that are powered by nuclear fusion.
  3. Theoretical objects powered by the annihilation of dark matter particles in their cores. ✓
  4. Stars that are too far away for us to see.

Answer: Theoretical objects powered by the annihilation of dark matter particles in their cores.

From page 8

What is Katherine Freese's legacy described as?

Choices

  1. One of traveling to other galaxies.
  2. One of perpetual curiosity, challenging old ideas, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. ✓
  3. One of inventing new types of rockets.
  4. One of writing children's books about space.

Answer: One of perpetual curiosity, challenging old ideas, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

From page 10