IOAA 2024, Теория — Задача 3. T3. Asteroid
IOAA 2024 — Theory Examination, English (Official) · 10 т.
Внимание: Бележка към темата
The printed instructions refer to blank Detailed Worksheets and a summary Answer Sheet. Those forms are absent from the available 2024 archive packet. The complete question booklet, solution booklet and separate marking scheme are included. Printed source inconsistencies are identified in the relevant tasks and retained without silently changing the source.
T2: The solution first gives and later substitutes , while retaining its boxed . The main double-sum potential expression also omits the factor used for unique pairs in the appendix. These printed expressions are retained; the marking scheme allows valid alternative estimates.
T6: The question names Palomar 4; the solution's repeated question names Palomar 6. The solution gives mag but substitutes in the following surface-brightness line. The native question and printed calculation are retained.
T7: The printed expansion on solution page 13 has where the preceding cosine-law equation would give . It is retained as printed; the subsequent sunrise calculation sets .
T10: Solution page 25 prints the unit of as m rather than . In (j), the final vector prints 77.59 m/s after previously using 77.76 m/s; the magnitude uses 77.76 m/s. These printed values are retained.
T11: The question gives Maceió's longitude as , while solution (e) uses . The solution's printed margin marks total 11 points in (g), versus 12 points in the question and separate marking scheme; its (j) heading and marks total 7 points, versus 6 in the question and separate marking scheme. All three sources are retained with their original point values.
Common solar-system table: The native solar-system table labels the semi-major-axis column AU, while explicitly giving the Moon's entry in km; its printed unit is retained.
Указания
- The theoretical competition will be 5 hours in duration and is marked out of a total of 300 points.
- There are Detailed Worksheets for carrying out detailed work / rough work. On each of the Detailed Worksheets, please fill in Student Code, Question No., Page no. and total number of pages.
- Start each problem on a new page of the Detailed Worksheets. Please write only on the printed side of the sheet. Do not use the reverse side. If you have written something on any sheet which you do not want to be marked, cross it out.
- There is a summary Answer Sheet with your student ID code for your final answers.
- Please remember that the graders may not understand your language. As far as possible, write your solutions only using mathematical expressions and numbers. If it is necessary to explain something in words, please use short phrases (if possible in English).
- You are not allowed to leave your exam desk without permission. If you need any assistance (malfunctioning calculator, need to visit a restroom, need more Detailed Worksheets, etc.), please put up your hand to signal the invigilator.
- The beginning and end of the competition will be indicated by a long sound signal. Additionally, there will be a short sound signal fifteen minutes before the end of the competition (before the final long sound signal).
- Wait at your table until your envelope is collected. Once all envelopes are collected, your student guide will escort you out of the competition room.
- A list of constants for this competition is given on the next page.
Fundamental Constants
| Constant | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed of light in a vacuum | |
| Planck constant | |
| Boltzmann constant | |
| Stefan-Boltzmann constant | |
| Elementary charge | |
| Universal Gravitational constant | |
| Universal gas constant | |
| Avogadro constant | |
| Wien's displacement law | |
| Mass of the electron | |
| Mass of the proton | |
| Mass of the neutron |
Astronomical Data and Solar Magnitudes
| Astronomical Data | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 parsec | |
| 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) | |
| 1 Jansky | |
| Hubble constant | |
| Solar luminosity | |
| Angular diameter of the Sun (from Earth) | |
| Effective temperature of the Sun | |
| Obliquity of the ecliptic | |
| Inclination of the Moon's orbit (to ecliptic) | |
| Magnitude of full Moon | |
| Coordinates of North Ecliptic Pole | |
| Coordinates of North Galactic Pole | |
| Sidereal day | |
| Tropical year | solar days |
| Sidereal year | solar days |
Solar Magnitudes
| Apparent Visual | Absolute Visual | Apparent Bolometric | Absolute Bolometric |
|---|---|---|---|
Solar System, Spherical Trigonometry and Calculus
Solar System Data
| Object | Radius (km) | Mass (kg) | Semi-major axis (AU) | Orbital eccentricity | Albedo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 695500 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Mercury | 2440 | 0.387 | 0.206 | 0.088 | |
| Venus | 6052 | 0.723 | 0.007 | 0.76 | |
| Earth | 6378 | 1.000 | 0.016710 | 0.31 | |
| Moon | 1737 | 0.054900 | 0.11 | ||
| Mars | 3390 | 1.524 | 0.093 | 0.25 | |
| Jupiter | 69911 | 5.203 | 0.048 | 0.51 | |
| Saturn | 58232 | 9.537 | 0.054 | 0.34 | |
| Uranus | 25362 | 19.189 | 0.047 | 0.30 | |
| Neptune | 24622 | 30.070 | 0.009 | 0.29 |
Spherical Trigonometry
Cosine formula:
Sine formula:
Four parts formula:

Calculus
Chain Rule:
Product Rule:
Условие
A peculiar asteroid of mass, , was spotted at a distance, , from a star with mass, . The magnitude of the asteroid's velocity at the time of the observation was , where is the universal gravitational constant. The distance is much larger than the radius of the star.
For both of the following items, express your answers in terms of , , and physical or mathematical constants.
(a) If the asteroid is initially moving exactly towards the star, how long will it take for it to collide with the star? [8 т.]
(b) If the asteroid is instead initially moving exactly away from the star, how long will it now take for it to collide with the star? [2 т.]
Решение
(a) Solution: In this scenario, the asteroid would fall directly towards the star. However, in order to simplify the calculations, it is possible to consider that the asteroid would be in a degenerate elliptical orbit. In that case, the semi-minor axis would be infinitesimally small and the asteroid would still practically be moving on a straight line. It is also important to notice that the focii would virtually be at the periapsis and apapsis points. The degenerate elliptical orbit is shown in the following figure: [2.0]

The semi-major axis of this elliptical orbit can be obtained through the following expression, where is the mass of the asteroid:
[2.0]
Now, it is possible to use Kepler's third law to find an expression for the period of the orbit:
[1.0]
If the asteroid is initially moving towards the star, it sweeps area I to reach the star. Using Kepler's second law, it is possible to calculate how long it takes for that to happen:
[2.0]
[1.0]
Note that the radius of the star is negligible in these calculations since it is significantly smaller than .
(b) Solution: If the asteroid is initially moving away from the star, it sweeps areas II and III before reaching the star. It is possible to again use Kepler's second law to find the time interval:
[1.5]
[0.5]
Separate Marking Scheme — T3
(a)
- Note: if many students (try to) solve this question using integral, a separate marking scheme must be developed.
- 2 points: correctly drawing or describing the geometry of the elliptical orbit of the asteroid. Students who identify that the trajectory can be approximated with a degenerate ellipse but do not show a correct understanding of the geometry of the ellipse will receive 1 point.
- 2 points: using either the principle of conservation of energy or the vis-viva equation to determine that . Students who set up a correct equation but get a wrong result will receive 1 point.
- 1 point: using Kepler’s third law to find an expression for the period.
- 2 points: using Kepler’s second law to calculate the interval. Students who use Kepler’s second law but set up the equation incorrectly will receive 1 point.
- 1 point: correct final answer.
(b)
- 1.5 point: using Kepler’s second law to calculate the interval. It is also acceptable to subtract the interval calculated on the previous item from the total period.
- 0.5 point: correct final answer.
General Rules for Marking
These are general guidelines for the grading of all problems. All of the rules listed below refer to deductions on specific items in the marking scheme.
| Case | Marking |
|---|---|
| Using absurd physical or mathematical concepts (despite correct answers) | No points given |
| Giving correct answer but the method is unclear | Deduct 50% of the marks for final answer |
| Minor mistakes in the calculations, e.g., wrong signs, numerical constants | Deduct 20% of the marks for that part, unless there is a physical incoherence |
| Too many or too few significant figures ( where is the expected number of significant figures) | Deduct 50% of the marks for final answer |
| Correct answer but missing or wrong units | No points given for final answer |
| For numerical values, the answer is not within a 5% precision range | No points given for final answer, unless differently stated in the problem or marking scheme |
| Error resulting from an earlier part error, for which the student already lost marks, if the answer is physically reasonable | No double penalization, full points given |
| Error resulting from an earlier part error, if the answer is physically unreasonable | No points given |
First example: If due to an error in an earlier item, the student calculates the speed of a satellite as instead of , they will only lose marks for the earlier item. However, if, for the same reason, a student calculates the velocity of the satellite as , they should realize this is wrong (higher than the speed of light) and thus should lose some marks for this item as well.
Second example: Consider a question that requires a student to determine the temperature of a planet that orbits a star with luminosity at a distance . To answer correctly, the student must calculate the star's radiant flux, the power incident on the planet, the power radiated by the planet, and then, using the condition of thermal equilibrium, the planet's temperature. If the student only calculates the radiant flux and arrives at the correct final answer without clearly explaining the other steps, they will receive marks only for the flux calculation, but not for the other steps, neither for the final answer.
Оригинал в Архива: theory_examination_304b6eb66a8940d79fccc404cf1ba9ab_preview.pdf · официални решения: theory solutions.pdf · допълнителни данни: theory marking scheme.pdf