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

The act of allocating; the state of being allocated.

Verbal noun of → allocate.

1) General: The act or result of amplifying, enlarging, or extending.
2) Physics: The process of increasing the magnitude of a variable quantity, especially the magnitude of voltage, power, or current, without altering any other quantity.

Verbal noun of → amplify.

1) Electronics: The extent to which an → analogue → amplifier boosts the strength of a → signal. Also called → gain.
2) In → gravitational lensing, the ratio of the lensed brightness to unlensed brightness. This factor depends on the mass of the → lensing object and the closeness of the alignment between observer, lens, and source (→ impact parameter).

→ amplification; → factor.

1) General: The act of applying to a particular purpose or use.
2) Computers: A program that performs a specific function for the user, as contrasted with an environment or operating system. Some examples are Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Photoshop. The word "application" is used because each program has a specific application for the user.

Verbal noun of → apply.

A software with a specific function, such as a word processor or game. Contrast with operating system software.

→ application; → software.

Computers: The process by which a user's identity is checked within the network to ensure that the user has access to the requested resources.

Verbal noun of → authenticate.

1) A branching or division into two parts; a splitting apart.
2) A sudden qualitative change in the behavior of a → dynamical system. The equation describing the evolution of the system finds several solutions for certain values of a parameter. Systems undergoing a bifurcation do not necessarily return to their original state, even if the parameter returns to its nominal value. See also → chaos.

Verbal noun of → bifurcate.

The point or moment in the evolution of a → dynamical system that occurs if a parameter passes through a critical point. At this point the system branches into any number of qualitatively new types of behavior.

→ bifurcation; → point.

1) A theory which studies how, in certain nonlinear systems, there may be paths and shifts in behavior dependent on small changes in circumstances or the current position of the system.
2) Math.: The study of the behavior of a solution of a nonlinear problem in the neighborhood of a known solution, particularly as a parameter varies.

→ bifurcation; → theory.

A system for the classification of → S-type stars. The system involves the designations of a C/O index and a temperature type. Moreover, when possible, it uses intensity estimates for → ZrO bands, the → TiO bands, the → Na I D-lines, the YO bands, and the Li I 6708 line.

Philip C. Keenan & Patricia C. Boeshaar, 1980, ApJS, 43, 379; → classification.

Chemistry: A → positively charged → ion that is attracted to the → cathode in electrolysis. Any positively charged atom or group of atoms (opposed to → anion).

From cat-, → cathod, + → ion.

The action of making a statement or situation less confused and more comprehensible.

Verbal noun of → clarify.

The systematic grouping of astronomical objects into categories on the basis of physical, morphological, or evolutionary characteristics.

Classification, from O.Fr., from classifier, from → class + -fier, from L. -ficare, root of facere "to make, do;" PIE base *dhe- "to put, to do" (cf. Skt. dadhati "puts, places;" Av. dadaiti "he puts," O.Pers. ada "he made," Gk. tithenai "to put, set, place."

Radebandi, from radé, → class, + bandi, verbal noun of bastan "to bind, shut; to get, acquire, incur," from Mid.Pers. bastan/vastan "to bind, shut;" Av./O.Pers. band- "to bind, fetter," banda- "band, tie;" cf. Skt. bandh- "to bind, tie, fasten;" Ger. binden, E. bind, → band; PIE base *bhendh- "to bind."

1) The act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.
2) The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs (Dictionary.com).

Verbal noun of → communicate.

1) Math.: A process applied to topological spaces having many dimensions to make them compact spaces.
2) Physics: In string theory, the process of "curling up" the extra dimensions (six in the superstring theory). According to these theories, the Universe actually has 10 spatial dimensions but that 7 of them have become "compactified" down to subatomic size and thus are unobservable.

Compactification, n. from → compactify.

A mapping of an infinite → space-time onto a finite one that may make the far away parts of the former accessible to study. The technique invented by Penrose defines an equivalence class of → metrics, g_ab being equivalent to ĝ_ab = Ω²g_ab, where Ω is a positive scalar function of the space-time that modifies the distance scale making the asymptotics of the physical metric accessible to study.

→ conformal; → compactification.

The act of convoking. The state of being convoked.

Verbal noun of → convoke.

The identification of an object in a data base or catalog and matching it with the same object identified in another catalog.

→ cross; → identification.

The process of producing a quantifiable result in a → fuzzy logic system, given → fuzzy sets and corresponding → membership functions. Defuzzification is the last step in a fuzzy logic system. After → fuzzy inferencing, the overall result is a → fuzzy value. This result should be defuzzified to obtain a final → crisp value.

Verbal noun of → defuzzify; → -tion.

The removal of mystery or confusion surrounding a topic or idea.

→ demystify; → -tion.