An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The point of the sky, north or south, where the projection of the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the → celestial sphere. They are at 90° relative to the → celestial equator. Because of → precession, the celestial poles describe a circle around the ecliptic's poles every 25,800 years.

→ celestial; → pole.

1) A combination of two electrically or magnetically charged particles of opposite signs, which are separated by a very small distance.
2) Chemistry: A molecule containing both positively and negatively charged groups.

→ di- "two, twice, double," + → pole.

A form of anistropy in the temperature of the → cosmic microwave background radiation, appearing as one hot pole and one cold pole, caused by our motion with respect to the cosmic background radiation. The temperature variations, amounting to 1 part in 1000, yield a velocity of about 600 km/sec for our Galaxy with respect to the background. → cosmic microwave background anisotropy.

→ dipole; → anisotropy.

One of the simplest kinds of antenna which is connected at the center to a radio-frequency feed line for transmitting or receiving radio frequency energy. It differs from the dish antenna in that it consists of many separate antennas that collect energy by feeding all their weak individual signals into one common receiving set.

→ dipole; → antenna.

1) The product of the strength of either of the charges in an → electric dipole and the distance separating the two charges. It is expressed in → coulomb meters. Dipole moment is a → vector quantity. Its direction is defined as toward the positive charge. In chemistry dipole moment is a quantitative measure of polarity in a molecule; the unit is the → debye.
2) The product of the strength of either of the poles in a → magnetic dipole and the distance separating the two poles. Dipole moment is a vector quantity. Its direction is defined as toward the magnetic north pole.

→ dipole; → moment.

The electromagnetic radiation produced by an oscillating → electric dipole or → magnetic dipole.

→ dipole; → radiation.

Either of the two points on the celestial sphere that are 90° above and below the plane of ecliptic. The north ecliptic pole lies in → Draco, and the south ecliptic pole in → Dorado. Due to → precession, the → celestial pole moves in a circle around the ecliptic poles once every 25,800 years.

→ ecliptic, → pole.

1) A type of → charge distribution consisting of two charges, a positive and a negative charge of the same magnitude separated by a distance s, which is small compared to the distance r to the point P at which the → electric potential is V and the → electric field intensity is E.The potential falls as the square of the distance (1/r²) and the electric field intensity decreases as the cube of the distance (1/r³).
2) A simple → antenna consisting of a pair of oppositely charged → conductors capable of radiating an → electromagnetic wave in response to the movement of an electric charge from one conductor to the other.

→ electric; → dipole.

An electric → charge distribution consisting of more than four → positive and → negative → electric charges located at a small distance from each other. The multipole concept is an extension of the → electric quadrupole. For the generalized multipole characterized by the letter l, the potential at a distance r varies as 1/r^{l + 1} and the field intensity as 1/r^{l + 2}.

→ electric; → multipole.

The point on the sky, north or south, at which the galaxy's rotation axis would meet the celestial sphere.

→ galactic; → pole.

Any of the interaction points of the axis of revolution of the → reference ellipsoid with its surface.

→ geodetic; → pole.

→ north pole.

→ geographic; → north; → pole.

→ south pole.

→ geographic; → south; → pole.

A system of three charges +q, -2q, and +q, arranged along a line to form an axial quadrupole. The → electric potential  V due to a linear quadrupole varies as 1/r³, whereas the → electric intensity  E varies as 1/r⁴.

→ linear; → electric; → quadrupole.

A system that generates a → magnetic field in which the field is considered to result from two opposite poles, as in the north and south poles of a magnet, much as an → electric field originates from a positive and a negative charge in an → electric dipole. A loop carrying an electric current also acts as a magnetic dipole. Magnetic dipoles experience a torque in the presence of magnetic fields. → dipole moment; → magnetic moment.

→ magnetic; → dipole.

Same as → magnetic moment.

→ magnetic; → dipole; → moment.

A hypothetical particle that carries a single → magnetic pole, in contrast to magnets which are north-south pole pairs. These massive particles (billions of times heavier than the → proton) are required by grand unified theories(→ GUTs) to explain the actual matter content of the Universe, particularly the dominance of matter upon → antimatter. However, their existence contradicts → Gauss's law for magnetism.

→ magnetic; → monopole.

A problem concerning the compatibility of grand unified theories (→ GUTs) with standard cosmology. If standard cosmology was combined with grand unified theories, far too many → magnetic monopoles would have been produced in the early Universe. The → inflation hypothesis aims at explaining the observed scarcity of monopoles. The inflation has deceased their density by a huge factor.

→ magnetic; → monopole; → problem.

A point of the → magnetosphere where the Earth's → magnetic field points vertically downward; in other words it has a 90° → magnetic dip toward the Earth's surface. The magnetic north pole can also be defined as the point toward which the south pole of the → compass needle is directed. The magnetic north pole is different from the → geographic north pole. It is actually hundreds of kilometers south of the geographic north pole. However, this has not always been the case. In the past 150 years it has moved more than 1,000 kilometers. Every 200,000 to 300,000 years the magnetic field of the Earth reverses direction, → magnetic reversal. Since the Earth's magnetic field is not exactly symmetrical, the north and south magnetic poles are not → antipodal.

→ magnetic; → north; → pole.

1) The region of a magnet toward which the lines of magnetic force converge (south pole) or from which the lines of force diverge (north pole).
2) Either of the two points on the Earth's surface where the magnetic lines of force converge. They are not aligned with the geographical poles, but shift and do not lie exactly opposite of the other. → magnetic north pole, → magnetic south pole, → magnetic reversal.

→ magnetic; → pole.