An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A physical state of dense matter in which the electrostatic field of one atom should influence a neighboring atom and hence disturb atomic levels. In extreme case, such as white dwarfs, electron clouds practically rub and electrons are ionized off the parent atoms.

→ pressure; → ionization.

A spherical → ionization front of → H II regions that moves radially outward from the → exciting star at a velocity much higher than → sound speed in the surrounding cold neutral gas of uniform density (ahead of the front). R-type ionization fronts corresponds to early evolution of H II regions, and will eventually transform into → D-type ionization fronts. If the motion of the front is supersonic relative to the gas behind as well as ahead of the front, the front is referred to as weak R. The strong R front correspond to a large density increase across the front.

R referring to a rarefied gas; → type; → ionization; → front.

1) The act or process of reionizing a gas; an instance of this action.
2) The → ionization of → neutral hydrogen atoms formed during → recombination epoch in the → early Universe. See also → reionization epoch.

→ re-; → ionize.

An early epoch in the → Universe's history, but after the → recombination epoch, when the → first stars formed and their → ultraviolet light began to ionize the → neutral hydrogen gas that filled the Universe. The epoch of reionization is estimated to last between → redshifts of 12 to 6 (or when the Universe had between 2 and 5% of its age). Reionization marks the end of the → Dark Age in cosmic history.

→ reionization; → epoch.