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

A combining form meaning "measure," used in the names of instruments measuring quantity, extent, degree.

From Fr. -mètre; → meter.

Suffix -sanj, present stem of sanjidan "to measure; to compare," from Mid.Pers. sanjidan "to weigh," from present tense stem sanj-, Av. θanj- "to draw, pull;" Proto-Iranian *θanj-. Other terms from this base in Pers.: lanjidan "to pull up," hanjidan, âhanjidan "to draw out," farhang "education, culture."

The → emission line of → neutral hydrogen in interstellar clouds. It lies in the radio spectrum at wavelength of about 21 cm, frequency 1420 MHz. Its existence was predicted by Hendrik van de Hulst in 1944 and discovered by Harold Ewen and Edward Purcell in 1951.

Twenty-one (21); → twenty + → one; → centimeter; → line.

A measure of the departure from a constant rate of the acceleration of the Universe, expressed by: q(t) = R(t)R ^..(t)/R ^.2(t), where R(t) represents the size of the Universe at time t. Traditionally, a negative sign is inserted in the above equation for the → deceleration parameter.

→ acceleration; → parameter.

Any instrument for measuring the intensity of radiation, especially that of the Sun, in its thermal, chemical, and luminous aspects.

Actinometer, from actino- combining form with the meaning "ray, beam," from Gk. aktis, aktin "ray," + → -meter.

Partow, → ray; + -sanj, → -meter.

An instrument which determines the altitude of an object with respect to a fixed level, such as sea level.

L. altus "high" + → -meter.

Farâzsanj, from farâz "above, over, aloft" + -sanj, → -meter; farâzyâb, from farâz + yâb "finder," from yâbidan "to find, discover, obtain."

An instrument for measuring and indicating the force or speed of the wind.

From Gk. anemos "wind" + → -meter.

Bâdsanj, from bâd "wind" + -sanj, → -meter.

The apparent diameter of an object in angular measure.

→ angular; → diameter.

1) The ratio of an object's → linear size (l) to its → angular size (δθ, in → radians), that is D_A = l/δθ. It is used to convert observed angular separations into proper separations at the source.

2) In cosmology, a distance defined as the ratio of an object's physical transverse size (l) to its angular size (δθ). It is used to convert angular separations in telescope images into proper separations at the source. The angular diameter distance is defined by: D_A = l / δθ. Consider a light source of size l at r = r₁ and t = t₁ subtending an angle δθ at the origin (r = 0, t = t₀). The proper distance between the two ends of the object is related to δθ by: δθ = l / [a(t₁). r₁], where a(t₁) is the → scale factor at the present epoch. Therefore, D_A = r₁ / (1 + z). The angular diameter distance has the particularity that it does not increase infinitely with z→ ∞. It gets its maximum value at a → redshift of ~ 1 and then decreases for higher z. Therefore, more distant objects appear larger in angular size. This is explained by considering the size of the Universe when the light of the object was emitted. At that time the Universe was smaller and therefore the object occupied a larger fraction of the size of the Universe. In other words, objects appear larger because the entire Universe acts as a → gravitational lense.

→ angular; → diameter; → distance.

The ratio J/M, where J is the → angular momentum of a → rotating black hole and M the mass of the black hole.

→ angular; → momentum; → parameter.

The angular diameter of a celestial body expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc, or in radians.

→ apparent; → diameter.

One of the largest ground-based astronomy projects and a major new facility for world astronomy located on the plain of the → Chajnantor Chilean Andes, San Pedro de Atacama, some 5000 m above sea level. ALMA will initially comprise 66 high precision antennas, with the option to expand in the future. There will be an array of fifty 12 m antennas, acting together as an → interferometer to capture → millimeter and → submillimeter wavelengths of 0.3 to 9.6 mm. It will have reconfigurable baselines ranging from 15 m to 18 km. A compact array of 7 m antenna and few 12 m diameter antennas (ACA) will be used to measure the diffuse emission. Resolutions as fine as 0''.005 will be achieved at the highest frequencies. Construction of ALMA started in 2003 and will be completed in 2012. The ALMA project is an international collaboration between Europe, Japan, and North America in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by the → European Southern Observatory (ESO). The first 12 m diameter antenna, built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, was handed over to ESO in 2008. It will shortly be joined by North American and European antennas. ALMA will allow astronomers to study the cool Universe, i.e. the molecular gas and tiny dust grains from which stars, planetary systems, galaxies, and even life are formed.

Atacama the name of a desert, west of the Andes mountains in Chile, covering a 1,000 km strip of land on the Pacific coast of South America; → large; → millimeter; → submillimeter; → array.

Instrument for measuring the atmospheric pressure. It is used in determining height above sea level and predicting changes in weather.

→ baro- + → -meter.

1) An instrument for measuring the intensity of radiant energy in amounts as small as one millionth of an erg. It uses the change in resistance of a thin conductor caused by the heating effect of the radiation. → actinometer, → photometer, → pyrheliometer, → pyrometer, radiometer.
2) In astronomy, an instrument that measures the amount of radiant energy received from a celestial object.

From Gk. bole "stroke, beam of light," from ballein "to throw" + middle suffix -o- + → -meter..

Tafsanj, from taf "heat, warmth; light, brightness," from tâbidan, "→ radiate," + sanj, → -meter.

A unit of length in the → metric system, equal to one-hundredth of a meter, which is the current unit of length in the → International System of Units (SI).

→ centi-; → meter.

A highly precise timepiece.

Chronometer, from from Gk. khronos "time" + → -meter.

Gâhsanj, zamânsanj, from gâh or zamân "time" + -sanj→ -meter.

A device consisting of two vertical coaxial cylinders and a fluid filling the volume between the cylinders and used for measuring the viscosity of the fluid. The inner cylinder is stationary while the outer cylinder rotates. The amount of shear stress produced owing to rotation is directly proportional to the viscosity of the fluid.

→ Couette flow; → viscometer.

A parameter designating the rate at which the expansion of the Universe would slow down owing to the braking gravitational effect of the matter content of the Universe. It is expressed by: q(t) = -R(t)R ^..(t)/R ^.2(t), where R(t) represents the size of the Universe at time t. See also → expansion parameter; compare with → acceleration parameter.

→ deceleration; → parameter.

One of the four terms that describe an arranged version of the → Friedmann equations. They are all time dependent.
1) For matter: Ω_m = 8πGρ_m/(3H²), where G is the → gravitational constant, ρ_m is the mean matter density, and H the → Hubble parameter. The matter density parameter is also expressed as Ω_m = ρ_m/ρ_crit, where ρ_crit is the → critical density.
2) For radiation: Ω_r = 8πGρ_r/(3H²), where ρ_r is the radiation equivalent of matter density. This parameter is also expressed as Ω_r = ρ_r/ρ_crit.
3) For the → cosmological constant: Ω_Λ = Λc²/(3H²). Similarly, Ω_Λ = ρ_Λ/ρ_crit, where &rho_Λ = Λc²/(8πG) is sometimes referred to as the density of → dark energy.
4) For the → curvature of space-timeΩ_k = -kc²/(R²H²), where k is the → curvature constant and R the → cosmic scale factor.
Note that: Ω_m + Ω_r + Ω_Λ + Ω_k = 1, and Ω_total = Ω_m + Ω_r + Ω_Λ = 1 - Ω_k.

→ density; → parameter.

Any chord passing through the center of a figure. The length of this chord.

O.Fr. diamètre, from L. diametrus, from Gk. diametros "diagonal of a circle," from dia- "across, through" + metron "a measure" → meter.

Tarâmun, from tarâ- "across, through," → trans- + mun/mân "measure," as in Pers. terms pirâmun "perimeter," âzmun "test, trial," peymân "measuring, agreement," peymâné "a measure; a cup, bowl," from O.Pers./Av. mā(y)- "to measure," cf. Skt. mati "measures," matra- "measure," Gk. metron "measure," L. metrum; PIE base *me- "to measure."

A device for measuring mechanical force; specifically, one that measures the output or driving torque of a rotating machine.

Dynamometer, from → dynamo + → -meter.

Tavânsanj, from tavân "power," → dynamics + -sanj, → -meter.