An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The identities, and relative abundances of the → chemical elements or → compounds that make up a substance.

→ chemical; → composition.

A substance whose molecules are made up of atoms of at least two different elements.

→ chemical; → compound.

A substance which consists entirely of atoms of the same → atomic number and cannot be decomposed or changed into another substance using chemical means. Currently 118 chemical elements are known, the most abundant being → hydrogen. → periodic table.

→ chemical; → element.

The → process by which the relative → abundance of a given → chemical element or → species in an → astrophysical object is increased. For example the the → increase of the → heavy element content of the → interstellar medium due to → stellar evolution.

→ chemical; → enrichment.

The symbolic representation of a chemical reaction where the formulae of the → reactants are placed on the left and the formulae of → products on the right of an arrow.

→ chemical; → equation.

A cumulative change in the chemical properties, or more specifically, the relative abundances of chemical elements in an astrophysical system.

→ chemical; → evolution.

→ mixing process.

→ chemical; → mixing.

For a given component in a → gas mixture, the change in → Gibbs free energy (G) with respect to change in amount of the component (n), when pressure, temperature, and amounts of other components remain constant: ∂G/∂n. Components are in equilibrium if their chemical potentials are equal.

→ chemical; → potential.

A → change or → transformation in which a → substance → decomposes, → combines with other → substances, or interchanges constituents with other substances.

→ chemical; → reaction.

The physical processes that can cause certain elements to migrate in a → stellar atmosphere. These processes are thought to be important in creating the chemical peculiarities seen in → Am stars and → Ap stars.

→ chemical; → separation.

A set of chemically → identical  → atomic or → molecular entities.

→ chemical; → species.

A → main sequence star of → spectral type A or B (→ A-type star, → B-type star) identified by the presence of anomalously strong or weak → absorption lines of certain elements in their spectra. CP stars have been divided into four main classes on the basis of their spectra: 1) non-magnetic metallic-lined (CP1, → Am star), magnetic (CP2, → Ap star), non-magnetic mercury-manganese (CP3, → HgMn star), and helium-weak (CP4, → He-weak star).
See also → Ap/Bp stars.

→ chemical; → -ly; → peculiar; → star.

A → dynamical variable which has an → imaginary number part.

→ complex; → dynamical; → variable.

Of or pertaining to force or power; of or pertaining to force related to motion.
Pertaining to the science of dynamics. Same as dynamic.

Adj. from → dynamics.

Age based on dynamical properties of a system. For example, the time derived for a system to evolve from an initial state to its present state, based on velocity and dimension (size) measurements.

→ dynamical; → age.

The process whereby a → bound system, such as a → binary system or a → globular cluster, is broken apart.

→ dynamical; → disruption.

Of a physical system, a condition in which the parts of the system are in continuous motion, but they move in opposing directions at equal rates so that the system as a whole remains in equilibrium.

→ dynamical; → equilibrium.

The gravitational interaction between a relatively massive body and a field of much less massive bodies through which the massive body travels. As a result, the moving body loses → momentum and → kinetic energy. An example of dynamical friction is the sinking of massive stars to the center of a → star cluster, a process called → mass segregation. Dynamical friction plays an important role in → stellar dynamics. It was first quantified by Chandrasekhar (1943).

→ dynamical; → friction.

A law that describes the motion of individual particles in a system, in contrast to → statistical laws.

→ dynamical; → law.

The mass of an object derived indirectly from theoretical formulae based on the laws governing the behavior of a → dynamical system.

→ dynamical; → mass.