Protoplanetary Disks — MCQs August 20, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. What is a protoplanetary disk? (A) A disk of gas and dust around a young star (B) A galaxy’s spiral arm (C) A black hole’s accretion disk (D) A belt of asteroids 2. Protoplanetary disks are the birthplace of: (A) Galaxies (B) Planets (C) Black holes (D) Stars only 3. Which substance dominates the gas in a protoplanetary disk? (A) Carbon dioxide (B) Oxygen (C) Hydrogen (D) Iron 4. What is the primary source of dust in protoplanetary disks? (A) Stellar winds (B) Leftover material from star formation (C) Supernova explosions nearby (D) Collisions between galaxies 5. Which type of planets usually form closer to the star? (A) Gas giants (B) Ice giants (C) Terrestrial planets (D) Brown dwarfs 6. Which type of planets form beyond the snow line? (A) Gas giants (B) Rocky planets (C) Brown dwarfs (D) None 7. What is the “snow line” in a protoplanetary disk? (A) The region where water and volatiles freeze (B) The outer edge of the disk (C) The habitable zone (D) A dust-free zone 8. Which telescope is most famous for studying protoplanetary disks in detail? (A) ALMA (B) Chandra (C) Fermi (D) James Clerk Maxwell Telescope 9. Which wavelength is best for detecting protoplanetary disks? (A) Gamma rays (B) Infrared and submillimeter (C) X-rays (D) Visible light only 10. The inner disk region is generally: (A) Cold and icy (B) Hot and rocky (C) Empty (D) Made of dark matter 11. The typical lifetime of a protoplanetary disk is: (A) A few billion years (B) A few million years (C) A few hundred years (D) Indefinite 12. What causes gaps in a protoplanetary disk? (A) Planet formation (B) Stellar explosions (C) Galactic winds (D) Accretion shocks 13. What is a transition disk? (A) A disk with a gap or inner hole (B) A galaxy in transition (C) A debris disk after star death (D) A rotating neutron star disk 14. Dust grains in disks combine to form: (A) Meteors (B) Planetesimals (C) Stars (D) Comets only 15. The main force driving disk rotation is: (A) Magnetic fields (B) Gravity from the central star (C) Cosmic rays (D) Supernova shocks 16. Gas dispersal in disks is mainly caused by: (A) Stellar winds and radiation (B) Galaxy collisions (C) Dark matter pressure (D) Neutrino flux 17. Which of the following is NOT found in protoplanetary disks? (A) Silicate dust (B) Water ice (C) Molecular hydrogen (D) Dark energy 18. The habitable zone in a protoplanetary disk depends on: (A) Star’s luminosity (B) Galaxy size (C) Dark matter content (D) Disk thickness only 19. Which planets migrate more easily through disks? (A) Large gas giants (B) Terrestrial planets (C) Brown dwarfs (D) Pulsars 20. Planetary migration occurs because of: (A) Gravitational interactions with disk material (B) Magnetic storms (C) Star flares only (D) Galactic orbits 21. The chemistry of disks can reveal: (A) Prebiotic molecules (B) Black hole activity (C) Dark energy signatures (D) Pulsar timing 22. Which molecules are commonly detected in protoplanetary disks? (A) CO and H₂O (B) Uranium isotopes (C) Neon (D) Xenon 23. The outer disk regions are typically: (A) Hotter than the inner regions (B) Colder and rich in ices (C) Completely dust-free (D) Made of metals only 24. Which instrument on ALMA helps detect protoplanetary disks? (A) Radio interferometer (B) CCD camera (C) X-ray detector (D) Particle accelerator 25. Debris disks differ from protoplanetary disks because: (A) They are remnants after planet formation (B) They are hotter (C) They have more gas (D) They orbit black holes 26. Protoplanetary disks are often observed around: (A) Young stars (T Tauri stars) (B) Neutron stars (C) Old red giants (D) Black holes 27. Which feature indicates planet formation in disks? (A) Gaps and rings (B) Gamma-ray bursts (C) Neutrino jets (D) Magnetic bubbles 28. Dust settles toward the disk midplane due to: (A) Gravity (B) Radiation pressure (C) Stellar flares (D) Dark energy 29. The main role of turbulence in disks is: (A) Mixing materials and helping accretion (B) Destroying planets (C) Forming galaxies (D) Creating black holes 30. What do spiral arms in protoplanetary disks usually indicate? (A) Gravitational instabilities (B) Supernova shocks (C) Galaxy mergers (D) Magnetic storms 31. Which type of disk structure can indicate giant planet presence? (A) Rings and gaps (B) Bright X-ray flares (C) Polar jets (D) Gravitational waves 32. Which factor influences disk lifetime? (A) Stellar mass and radiation (B) Dark matter density (C) Galaxy rotation speed (D) Age of universe only 33. Protoplanetary disks may eventually evolve into: (A) Debris disks (B) Pulsars (C) Supernova remnants (D) Neutron star crusts 34. Which element is most abundant in disk dust? (A) Silicon (B) Iron (C) Oxygen (D) Carbon 35. What role does radiation pressure play in disks? (A) Helps clear out small dust grains (B) Builds rocky planets (C) Creates dark matter (D) Forms supernovae 36. Jets seen in young star systems are linked to: (A) Magnetic fields in disks (B) Black hole feeding (C) Galactic collisions (D) Cosmic rays 37. The midplane of the disk is: (A) Densest and dust-rich (B) Gas-free (C) Radiation only (D) Icy void 38. Which part of the disk is most observable in infrared? (A) Warm inner dust (B) Cold outer edge (C) Stellar core (D) Black holes 39. Protoplanetary disk thickness decreases with: (A) Age of disk (B) Stellar metallicity (C) Galactic orbit (D) Cosmic rays 40. Which observation technique maps gas motion in disks? (A) Doppler spectroscopy (B) Polarimetry (C) Gamma-ray detection (D) Gravitational lensing 41. What is the main barrier to dust growth in disks? (A) Collisions causing fragmentation (B) Magnetic fields (C) Supernova radiation (D) Neutrino storms 42. Which feature helps determine disk orientation? (A) Polarization of light (B) Neutrino flux (C) X-ray bursts (D) Cosmic microwave background 43. Which factor helps icy grains stick together? (A) Surface chemistry of ices (B) Gravitational waves (C) Dark energy (D) Stellar X-rays 44. The first stage of planet formation in disks is: (A) Dust coagulation (B) Gas accretion (C) Nuclear fusion (D) Star death 45. ALMA images often show: (A) Rings and gaps in disks (B) Supernova shells (C) Black hole jets (D) Gamma-ray flares 46. Planetary embryos form from: (A) Collisions of planetesimals (B) Black hole accretion (C) Neutrino heating (D) Galactic shocks 47. Which type of protoplanetary disk is more massive? (A) Around higher-mass stars (B) Around neutron stars (C) Around white dwarfs (D) Around pulsars 48. Gas accretion onto giant planets creates: (A) Circumplanetary disks (B) Black holes (C) Pulsars (D) Neutrino jets 49. Dust traps in disks prevent: (A) Dust grains from drifting into the star (B) Planets from forming (C) Supernova shocks (D) Radiation bursts 50. Protoplanetary disks provide clues to: (A) The origins of planetary systems (B) The nature of dark energy (C) Galaxy collisions only (D) Neutron star interiors