An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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An → ionization front of → H II regions whose expansion speed is comparable to the → sound speed in the gas (~ 10 km/sec for hydrogen at 10⁴ K). A D-type ionization front results from → R-type ionization front when its propagation speed decreases as the volume of gas ahead of the ionization front grows. If front velocity is equal to a lower limit (C₁² / 2C₂, where C₁ and C₂ are the sound speed ahead and behind the front respectively), the front is called D critical.

D referring to a dense gas; → type; → ionization; → front.

A spherical → ionization front of → H II regions that moves radially outward from the → exciting star at a velocity much higher than → sound speed in the surrounding cold neutral gas of uniform density (ahead of the front). R-type ionization fronts corresponds to early evolution of H II regions, and will eventually transform into → D-type ionization fronts. If the motion of the front is supersonic relative to the gas behind as well as ahead of the front, the front is referred to as weak R. The strong R front correspond to a large density increase across the front.

R referring to a rarefied gas; → type; → ionization; → front.

A burst of → X-rays observed toward → low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB)s. It is characterized by a sharp increase in → luminosity, which lasts 1-10 s, followed by the peak and a slow decrease, which can last from ~ 10s to 100s. Observationally, X-ray bursts manifest as a bright peak of emission on top of the persistent emission powered by → accretion. See also → Type II burst.

→ type; → burst.

Statistics: An error made if a → hypothesis is rejected when it should be accepted. → Type II error.

→ type; → error.

An → orbital migration of low-mass → planets in which no gap is created in the → protoplanetary disk. According to planetary models, beyond a critical core mass for the forming planet, a gap in the protoplanetary disk is created. The critical mass depends on the mass and → metallicity of the disk and therefore it does not have a singular value, but has been shown to be between about 10-30 Earth masses. Compare with → Type II migration.

→ type; → migration.

A type of supernova whose spectra lacks hydrogen lines. Its → light curve exhibits a sharp maximum with a gradual decrease. Typical magnitudes M_V = -14 to -17. Ejecta velocities about 10,000 km/sec. Type I supernovae have several subtypes: → Type Ia, → Type Ib, and → Type Ic.

Type I initially introduced by R. Minkowski (1941, PASP 53, 224); → type; → supernova.

The → gas tail of of a comet.

→ type; → tail.

A → Type I supernova that presents a singly-ionized silicon (Si II) absorption feature at 6150 Å near peak brightness. Type Ia SNe are believed to result from mass → accretion to a carbon-oxygen → white dwarf in a → close binary system. When the white dwarf mass exceeds the → Chandrasekhar limit, the → degenerate electron pressure can no longer support the accumulated mass and the star collapses in a thermonuclear explosion producing a supernova. The → peak luminosity of SNe Ia is set by the radioactive decay chain ⁵⁶Ni → ⁵⁶Co → ⁵⁶Fe, and the observed photometric correlation between the peak luminosity and the time-scale over which the → light curve decays from its maximum is understood physically as having both the luminosity and → opacity being set by the mass of ⁵⁶Ni synthesized in the explosion. Type Ia supernovae occur in all types of galaxies. Type Ia SNe are used as → standard candles in determining cosmological distances, after normalizing their light curves with the → Phillips relation.

→ type; → supernova.

A → Type I supernova that has neutral helium line (He I) at 5876 Å, and no strong silicon (Si II) absorption feature at 6150 Å. Type Ib supernovae are believed to result from the evolution of → massive stars.

→ type; → supernova.

A → Type I supernova that shows weak or no helium lines and no strong silicon (Si II) absorption feature near 6150 Å. Type Ic supernovae are believed to result from the evolution of → massive stars.

→ type; → supernova.

A burst of → X-rays observed toward → low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB)s and characterized by quick succession of bursts with recurrence intervals as short as ~ 7 s. Type II X-ray bursts look similar to → Type I bursts, but they are thought to be related with spasmodic episodes of → accretion.

→ type; → burst.

Statistics: An error made if a → hypothesis is accepted when it should be rejected. → Type I error.

→ type; → error.

The → orbital migration of forming → planets that → accrete enough disk material to exceed the critical mass. This type migrates in a gap created in the → protoplanetary disk. Compare with → Type I migration.

→ type; → migration.

A supernova type whose spectrum contains hydrogen lines. Compared with → Type I supernovae, its → light curve has a broader peak at maximum and dies away more rapidly. The magnitudes are smaller, ranging from M_V = -12 to -13.5, and the ejecta have lower velocities (about 5,000 km/sec). These supernovae, which result from the final evolution of → massive stars, have three main divisions: → Type II-P, → Type II-L, and → Type II-n.

Type II initially introduced by R. Minkowski (1941, PASP 53, 224); → type; → supernova.

The → dust tail of a → comet.

→ type; → tail.

A → Type II supernova which displays a linear decrease in its → light curve.

→ Type II supernova; L short for → linear.

A → Type II supernova which shows intermediate or very narrow width hydrogen → emission lines in the spectra.

→ Type II supernova; n short for → narrow.

A → Type II supernova which reaches a plateau in its → light curve. The vast majority of Type II SNe are characterized by a fast (few days) rise to a flat light curve, most pronounced in the reddest optical bands, with a duration of 80-100 days. This plateau phase is interpreted as the recession of the photosphere as the ejecta expand and cool. The spectra of SNe II-P are typically dominated by strong → P Cygni profiles of hydrogen lines, as well as iron absorption features (for a review, e.g., see Filippenko 1997, ARA&A 35, 309).

→ Type II supernova; P short for → plateau.