An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The interval with which a rotating body precesses. The precession period of the Earth is 25,770 years. For a → spinning top it is given by: T_p = (4π²I)/(mgrT_s), where I is the → moment of inertia, m the mass of the top, g gravity, r the distance between the center of mass and the contact point, and T_s is the spinning period of the top.

→ precession; → period.

A time interval over which an orbit precesses by 2π radians in its plane.

→ precession; → time.

Of or pertaing to → precession.

→ precession; → -al.

The path of either → celestial poles around the → ecliptic pole due to the → precession of equinox. It takes about 26,000 years for the celestial pole to complete path.

→ precessional; → circle.

A → general relativistic phenomenon in which the line joining the → apsides of an orbit gradually rotates in a → prograde direction. Also called the → orbital precession and → perihelion precession. Although the general relativistic precession of Mercury's orbit is extremely small, the similar precession observed in the orbit of the → binary pulsar PSR B1913+16 amounts to 4.23 degrees per year, i.e. 36,000 times greater than the → advance of perihelion of Mercury.

→ relativistic; → precession.

The change in the direction of the → rotation axis of a → pulsar in a → binary pulsar. In such a system, → geodetic precession leads to a relativistic → spin-orbit coupling, analogous of → spin-orbit coupling in atomic physics. In consequence, the pulsar spin precesses about the total → angular momentum, changing the relative → orientation of the pulsar toward Earth (Damour & Ruffini, 1974). As a result, the angle between the pulsar → rotation axis and our → line of sight changes with time, so that different portions of the emission beam can be observed leading to changes in the measured pulse profile. In extreme cases, the precession may even move the beam out of our line of sight and the pulsar may disappear as predicted for PSR 1913+16 for the year 2025.

→ relativistic; → spin; → precession.