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

A crucial period in the history of the → Universe, when the bulk of stars in massive galaxies were likely formed. Observations of young stars in distant galaxies at different times in the past have indicated that the → star formation rate peaked at the → redshift of z ~ 2, some 10 billion years ago, before declining by a factor of around ten to its present value (P. Madau & Dickinson, 2014, arXiv:1403.0007).

→ cosmic; → star; → formation; → peak.

An attractive or repulsive → electrostatic force between objects bearing electric charge, as described by → Coulomb's law. If the charges are of opposite sign, then the force is attractive; if thy are of the same sign, the force is repulsive.

→ Coulomb; → force.

1) To undergo → deformation.
2) To change the form or shape of. → deformable, → deformed, → deformation.

From O.Fr. déformer, from L. deformare "to disfigure," from → de- + → form.

Vâdisidan, vâdisândan infinitive from vâdis, from vâ-, → de-, + dis, → form.

Capable of being → deformed. → deformable mirror

→ deform + → -able.

A very thin mirror whose shape can be changed by the force applied by many small pistons behind the mirror. Such a mirror is used in the → adaptive optics technique to correct the → wavefront affected by the → atmospheric turbulence. See also → tip-tilt mirror.

→ deformable; → mirror.

Altering in the size or shape of a body. See also → deformable.

Verbal noun of → deform.

Having the → form → changed.

Past participle of → deform.

A formula that gives the position of an image formed by highly → paraxial rays from a → spherical mirror. It is quite accurately given by: 1/x_o + 1/x_i = 2/x_C, where x_o is the distance along the → principal axis from the mirror to the object, x_i is the distance from mirror to image, and x_C is the distance from the mirror to its center of curvature. Any distance measured on the same side of the mirror as the reflecting surface is positive; on the other side, negative. Thus for a → concave mirror  x_C is positive; for a → convex mirror, negative.

→ Descartes; → formula.

Symbolic representation of the definition of a physical quantity obtained from its units of measurement. For example, with M = mass, L = length, T = time, area = L², velocity = LT^-1, energy = ML²T^-2. → dimensional analysis.

→ dimensional; → formula.

A deformation of a → solid body in which the change (→ strain) in the relative position of points in the body disappears when the deforming stress is removed. See also → elastic limit.

→ elastic; → deformation.

The fundamental force that is associated with electric and magnetic fields. One of the four fundamental forces of nature, it is carried by photons.

→ electromagnetic; → force.

The force, analogous to a pressure, which maintains a flow of electricity through a closed circuit. It is the algebraic sum of the → potential differences acting in the circuit. The unit of electromotive force is the → volt.

From → electro- + motive, from M.E., from M.Fr., from O.Fr. motif, from M.L. motivus "moving, impelling," from L. motus, p.p. of movere "to move," → motion; → force.

Niru, → force; barqrân, literally "driving electricity," from barq, → electro- + rân present stem of rândan, → drive.

The force that takes part in an → electroweak interaction.

→ electroweak; → force.

1) In physics, a mathematical equation that predicts observed results, but has no known theoretical basis to explain why it works.
2) In chemistry, a simple expression of the relative number of each type of atom in a chemical compound.

→ empirical; → formula

A formula which expresses an → exponential function with an → imaginary number  → exponent in terms of → trigonometric functions:
e^iθ = cos θ + i sinθ,
e^-iθ = cos θ - i sinθ,
cosθ = (e^iθ + e^-iθ)/2,
sinθ = (e^iθ - e^-iθ)/2i.
In the particular case of θ = π, Euler's formula becomes: e^iπ + 1 = 0, which is considered by many mathematicians to be the most elegant mathematical equation. → mathematical elegance.

→ Euler; → formula.

The force that governs the exchange of particles in the interaction between bodies. → exchange particle.

→ exchange, → force.

In a self-regulatory system, monitoring a disturbance before it enters the → system to apply corrections before the disturbance has influenced the system. See also → feedback.

→ feed; → forward.

The region of → space surrounding a body, such as a mass of → matter, a → charged particle, or a → magnet, within which it can exert a → force on another similar body not in contact with it.

→ field; → force.

A preposition used to indicate the object or purpose of an action.

M.E., from O.E. for "before, in the sight of, in the presence of" (source also of Old Saxon furi "before," Old Frisian for, Middle Dutch vore, Dutch voor "for, before;" German für "for;" Danish for "for," før "before;" Gothic faur "for," faura "before"), from PIE root *per- "forward," hence "in front of, before," etc.

Barâye "because of," related to Pers. cerâ "for what reason, why?," irâ "for this reason, therefore," zirâ "because, on account of;" also rây "opinion, consult," Mid.Pers. râd, rây "because of, for the sake of, on behalf of;" O.Pers. rā "reason, cause," in rādiy "for this reason," → reason.

Increased reddening and monochromaticity of light as the path length in the air increases.

After the Scottish physicist James David Forbes (1809-1868); → effect.