An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A quantity used to describe a → radionuclide that has more than one → decay mode. For a particular decay mode, the ratio of the number of atoms decaying by that decay mode to the number decaying in total: BR_i = k_i/(k₁ + k₂ + ...) = k_i/k, where k is → decay constant.

→ branching; → ratio.

In theoretical physics, an entity which can have any number of allowed spatial dimensions. It is usually accompanied by a prefix, i.e. p-brane, indicating the number of dimensions. For example, a 0-brane is a zero-dimensional point-like particle, a 1-brane is a → string, a 2-brane is a "membrane," and so forth. Our Universe is a 3-brane.

Brane, short for membrane, from L. membrana "parchment," from membrum "limb, member of the body," → member.

Breyn, loanword from E., as above.

To adjust or determine, by comparison with a standard, the response magnitude of a measuring instrument as a function of the input signal. For example, to determine line wavelengths in the spectrum of an astronomical object, or to graduate a hygrometer.

From M.Fr. calibre, via Sp. or It., from Ar. qalib "a mold, last," perhaps from Gk. kalopodion "a shoemaker's last," from kalon "wood" + podos gen. of pous "foot."

Kabizidan, verbal form of kabiz (varianats kaviz, kaviž, kafiz) "a measure for grain, a bushel," from Mid.Pers. kabiz "a grain measure," loaned in Arm. kapic "a grain measure," and in Gk. kapithe, as attested in Xenophon.

1) The act or process of calibrating or the state of being calibrated.
2) A set of graduations that show positions or values.

Calibration, noun from → calibrate.

Kabizeš, noun from kabizidan, → calibrate.

An empirical curve obtained through appropriate exposures in order to determine the instrument's response. For example, a curve allowing the conversion of relative intensities of an observed object into absolute fluxes, or a curve relating the detector's pixel positions to wavelengths.

→ calibration; → curve.

A systematic error in the constant values to be applied to a measuring instrument.

→ calibration; → error.

Irang, → error; kabizeš, → calibration.

An exposure obtained with an instrument mounted on the telescope using an artificial illuminating source in order to calibrate the instrument.

→ calibration; → exposure.

Nurdâd, → exposure; kabizeš, → calibration.

A lamp used for instrument calibration, such as an internal He-Ar arc for wavelength calibration or an external source of light placed in the telescope dome for flat-field exposures.

→ calibration; lamp, from O.Fr. lampe, L. lampas, from Gk. lampas "torch, lamp, light, meteor," from lampein "to shine."

Kabizeš, → calibration; lâmp, from Fr., as above.

A general term for certain reference astronomical sources that allow determining the characteristics (magnitude, distance, velocity, etc.) of other sources. → primary calibrators, → secondary calibrators.

Calibrator, from → calibrate + → -or.

Kabizandé, agent noun from kabizidan, → calibrate.

Daily geometrical libration of the Moon arising from the fact that observers at different points on the Earth see the Moon from slightly different angles. As the Moon rises in the east, you are positioned on one side of our planet, and by the time it sets in the west. Earth's rotation has carried you to the other side. This change in position produces a slight → parallax effect that adds about another 1° of libration in longitude. Two other geometrical libration are → libration in longitude and → libration in latitude. See also → physical libration.

→ diurnal; → libration.

The hottest variety of stars on the → horizontal branch with temperatures ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 K. EHB stars are distinguished from normal horizontal branch stars by having extremely thin, inert hydrogen envelopes surrounding the helium-burning core. They are hot, dense stars with masses in a narrow range near 0.5 Msun. These stars have undergone such extreme mass loss during their first ascent up the giant branch that only a very thin hydrogen envelope survives. Stars identified as EHB stars are found in low metallicity globular clusters as an extension of the normal HB.

→ extreme; → horizontal; → branch; → star.

A → horizontal branch star with high velocity.

→ field; → horizontal; → branch; → star.

One of the two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator crossed one another at → autumnal equinox several thousands years ago. Because of → precession, this equinoctial point no longer lies in Libra but in neighboring Virgo.

The → calibration of the flux received by a detector in terms of absolute units.

→ flux; → calibration.

Libration resulting from changes in the location of the observer with respect to body. More specifically, a lunar libration motion that results from the Earth based observer seeing the Moon from different directions at different times. There are three types of geometrical libration: → libration in longitude, → libration in latitude, and → diurnal libration. See also → physical libration.

→ geometric; → libration.

A conspicuous family of stars in the → Hertzsprung-Russell diagram composed of red, evolved stars with large sizes. → giant star; → red giant.

→ giant; → branch.

A wavelength calibration of astronomical spectra using a helium-argon light source.

→ helium; → argon; → calibration.

A set of roughly horizontal points in the → Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of a typical → globular cluster. It displays a stage of stellar evolution which immediately follows the → red giant branch (RGB) in stars with an initial mass < 1.2 Msun. When the star's ascent of the RGB is terminated by the → helium flash, it moves down to the HB. The star's → effective temperature on the HB is higher than it was on the RGB, but the luminosity is considerably less than at the helium flash. Usually HB stars have two energy sources: in addition to the → helium burning in their cores, they experience → hydrogen fusion in a surrounding shell. The thickness of the shell determines the color of the HB stars. A thin shell, involving low → opacity, makes the star look blue. The HB domain encompasses a very large effective temperature range with several members: → extreme HB, → blue HB, → RR Lyrae, → red HB, and → red clump stars. The locations depend on many parameters, including stellar mass, metallicity, age, helium abundance, and rotation.

→ horizontal; → branch.

A star lying on the → horizontal branch.

→ horizontal; → branch; → star.

A relativistic theory of gravitation which involves a → scalar field in addition to the → metric (→ tensor field) used in rarr; general relativity. It obeys the → equivalence principle, but tries at the same time to comply with → Mach's principle owing to possible spatial and temporal variations of the → gravitational constant, which is inversely proportional to the scalar field. The theory uses a new dimensionless parameter to determine the discrepancy between its predictions and those of general relativity. So far there is no firm indication of its validity. Same as → scalar-tensor theory.

Named after the creators, Carl Brans (1935-) and Robert Dicke (1916-1997), who presented the theory in 1961, based on the initial work of Pascual Jordan (1902-1980); → theory.