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

The total rate of energy output of an object integrated over all wavelengths.

→ bolometric; → luminosity.

The magnitude of an astronomical object for the entire range of its electromagnetic spectrum.

→ bolometric; → magnitude.

→ Boltzmann's constant.

→ Boltzmann's constant.

The factor e^-E/kT involved in the probability for atoms having an excitation energy E and temperature T, where k is Boltzmann's constant.

→ Boltzmann's constant; → factor.

The physical constant, noted by k, relating the mean → kinetic energy of → molecules in an → ideal gas to their → absolute temperature. It is given by the ratio of the → gas constant to → Avogadro's number. Its value is about 1.380 x 10^-16erg K^-1.

Named after the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906), who made important contributions to the theory of statistical mechanics; → constant.

In → statistical thermodynamics, a probability equation relating the → entropy S of an → ideal gas to the quantity Ω, which is the number of → microstates corresponding to a given → macrostate: S = k. ln Ω. Same as → Boltzmann's relation.

→ Boltzmann's constant; → entropy; → formula.

1) An equation that expresses the relative number (per unit volume) of → excited atoms in different states as a function of the temperature for a gas in → thermal equilibrium: N_u/N_l = (g_u/g_l) exp (-ΔE/kT_ex), where N_u and N_l are the upper level and lower level populations respectively, g_u and g_l the → statistical weights, ΔE = hν the energy difference between the states, k is → Boltzmann's constant, and h  → Planck's constant.

→ Boltzmann's constant; → equation.

A relation between the → entropy of a given → state of a → thermodynamic system and the → probability of the state: S = k . ln Ω where S is the entropy of the system, k is → Boltzmann's constant, and Ω the thermodynamic probability of the state. Boltzmann's relation connects → statistical mechanics and → thermodynamics. Ω is the number of possible → microstates of the system, and it represents the → randomness of the system. The relation also describes the statistical meaning of the → second law of thermodynamics. This expression has been carved above Boltzmann's name on his tombstone in Zentralfreihof in Vienna. Same as → Boltzmann's entropy formula.

→ Boltzmann's constant; → relation.

The → attractive force that holds together neighboring → atoms in → molecules.

Bond, variant of band, from M.E. bende, O.E. bend, from O.Fr. bande, bende, PIE *bendh- "to bind" (cf. Goth bandi "that which binds;" Av./O.Pers. band- "to bind, fetter," banda- "band, tie" (see below); Skt. bandh- "to bind, tie, fasten," bandhah "a tying, bandage").

Band "band, tie," from Mid.Pers., O.Pers./Av. band- "to bind," banda- "band, tie," also present stem of bastan "to bind, shut," → shutter.

The fraction of the total amount of electromagnetic radiation falling upon a non-luminous spherical body that is reflected in all directions by that body. The bond albedo takes into account all wavelengths at all → phase angles. Compare with → geometric albedo.

Named after the American astronomer George Phillips Bond (1825-1865), who proposed it; → albedo.

The → accretion of mass by a star (assumed as point particle) moving at a steady speed through an infinite, uniform gas cloud. It is directly proportional to the star mass (M) and the medium density (ρ) and inversely proportional to the relative star/gas velocity (v). In its classical expression: 4πρ(G M)² / v³, where G is the → gravitational constant. See Bondi & Hoyle (1944, MNRAS 104, 273) and Bondi (1952, MNRAS 112, 195). For a recent treatment of accretion in a turbulent medium see Krumholtz et al. 2006 (ApJ 638, 369).

Named after Hermann Bondi (1919-2005), an Anglo-Austrian mathematician and cosmologist and Fred Hoyle (1915-2001), British mathematician and astronomer best known as the foremost proponent and defender of the steady-state theory of the universe; → accretion.

In the → Bondi-Hoyle accretion process, the radius where the gravitational energy owing to star is larger than the kinetic energy and, therefore, at which material is bound to star. The Bondi-Hoyle accretion radius is given by R_BH = 2 GM / (v² + c_s²) where G is the gravitational constant, M is the stellar mass, v the gas/star relative velocity, and c_s is the sound speed.

→ Bondi-Hoyle accretion; → radius.

A catalog of 324,188 stars in the → declination zones +89 to -01 degrees. The goal of the survey was to obtain a → position and estimated → visual magnitude for every star visible with the 78 mm → refracting telescope at Bonn. Actual → magnitude estimates were made and reported to 0.1 mag for all stars down to 9.5 mag. Positions are given to the nearest 0.1 sec in → right ascension and 0.1 arcmin in declination. The survey was carried out by Friedrich W. Argelander (1799-1875) and his assistants in the years 1852-1861.

The Ger. name means Bonn Survey.

The largest gravitationally stable mass of the → Bonnor-Ebert sphere.

After W.B. Bonnor (1956) and R. Ebert (1955); → mass.

A sphere of interstellar gas at uniform temperature in equilibrium under its own gravitation and an external pressure. The pressure of a hotter surrounding medium causes the sphere to collapse. → Bonnor-Ebert mass.

→ Bonnor-Ebert mass; → sphere.

A bound set of printed or manuscript pages.

M.E., from O.E. boc "book, written document;" cf. Ger. Buch "book;" Du. boek; O.N. bôk; Gothic boka.

Ketâb, loanword from Ar.
Nâmé "book, letter;" Mid.Pers. nâmag "book, letter, inscription;" O.Pers./Av. nāman- "name;" cf. Skt. nama-; Gk. onoma, onuma; L. nomen; PIE *nomen-.
Nask; Mid.Pers. nask "one of the book comprising Avesta;" Av. naska-, literally "bundle, bunch," naskô.frasa- "one who devotes himself to the study of nasks;" cf. Skt. nah- "to tie, bind," nahyati "he ties, binds;" L. nectere "to tie, bind," nodus "node;" O.Ir. nasc "a tie, bond, ring," nascim "I bind."

A → variable or → function which takes the value → true or → false. → Boolean algebra.

After the English mathematician George Boole (1815-1864), the founder of mathematical, or symbolic, logic.

Any of a number of possible systems of mathematics that deals with → binary digits instead of numbers. In Boolean algebra, a binary value of 1 is interpreted to mean → true and a binary value of 0 means → false. Boolean algebra can equivalently be thought of as a particular type of mathematics that deals with → truth values instead of numbers.

→ Boolean; → algebra. The term Boolean algebra was first suggested by Sheffer in 1913.

A → nebula displaying two nearly symmetric lobes of matter that are being ejected from a central star at a speed of about 600,000 km per hour (each lobe nearly one light-year in length). The Boomerang Nebula resides 5,000 → light-years from Earth in the direction of the Southern constellation → Centaurus.

Boomerang, adapted from wo-mur-rang, boo-mer-rit, in the language of Australian aborigines; → nebula.

The Herdsman, the Ox Driver. A constellation in the northern hemisphere, at right ascension about 14h 30m, north declination about 30°. Its brightest star is → Arcturus. Abbreviation: Boo; genitive form: Boötis.

L. Boötes, from Gk. bootes "plowman," literally "ox-driver," from bootein "to plow," from bous "ox," from PIE *gwou- "ox, bull, cow;" compare with Av. gao-, gâuš "bull, cow, ox," Mod.Pers. gâv, Skt. gaus, Armenian kov, O.E. cu.

Gâvrân "ox-driver," from gâv "ox, cow" + rân "driver," from rândan "to drive."
Gâyâr, from Lori "bull driver, plower, plow man" (Tabari goyâr), from gâ "bull, cow," variant of gâv, explained above, + -âr, either "driver", Av. ar- "to set in motion" (Skt. ir-, IER *er-), or IER *are- "to plow" (L. arare, Gk. aroun, O.C.S. orja, Lith. ariu, Goth. arjan, O.E. erian, Tokharian AB âre). Compare also with Gilaki urân " to plow," Qâeni ordu "plow".