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

The theory that describes light as waves that spread out from the source that generates the light. It contradicts the → corpuscular theory of light proposed by Newton (1704). The idea of the wave nature of light was first put forward by Robert Hooke (1660). The wave theory was originally stated by Huygens (1690), who showed reflection and refraction could be explained by this theory. It was supported by → Young's experiment (1802) and established by the work of Fresnel (1814-1815). The wave theory received its most important support from Maxwell's → electromagnetic theory. See also → Huygens-Fresnel principle.

→ wave; → theory; → light.

A series of successive waves spaced at regular intervals.

→ wave; → train.

A vector whose direction is that of propagation of a wave and whose magnitude is given by the → wave number, 2π/λ, where λ is the → wavelength, or ω/c, where ω is the → angular frequency and c is the speed of propagation.

→ wave; → number.

The principle admitted in → quantum mechanics that all particles have a wave-like nature and that waves have a particle aspect. The wave-particle duality is of fundamental importance in obtaining a realistic picture of the → elementary particles.
See also: → particle nature, → wave nature, → de Broglie hypothesis, → Davisson-Germer experiment.

→ wave; → particle; → duality.

A portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which is defined because of its characteristics or for its use.

→ wave; → band.

A graphical representation of the shape of a wave for a given instant in time.

→ wave; → form.

The resolution of a complex waveform into a sum of simple periodic waves, usually by computer means.

→ waveform; → analysis.

The locus of adjacent points possessing the same phase in the path of a wave motion. Its surface is uniform (spherical or plane) and normal to propagation direction in an isotropic medium. → wavefront distortion.

→ wave; → front.

In → adaptive optics, eliminating the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the wavefront of the object being observed. → wavefront distortion.

→ wavefront; → correction.

The disruption of the spherical shape of a wavefront due to atmospheric turbulence which makes the adjacent points in the wavefront out of phase.

→ wavefront; → distortion.

In adaptive optics, a device that analyzes the light sample coming from the wavefront and determines the error in each part of the beam. The wavefront sensor used in adaptive optics is a → Shack-Hartmann type, which works in conjunction with a deformable mirror.

→ wavefront; → sensor.

The average slope in both the X and Y directions of a → wavefront or phase profile across the pupil of an optical system.

→ wavefront; → tilt.

Any transmission medium, such as a hollow metal conductor, coaxial cable, or glass fiber, capable of confining and supporting the propagation of electromagnetic waves regardless of wavelength or mode of propagation.

→ wave; guide, M.E., from O.Fr. guider "to guide, lead," from Frankish *witan "show the way," from P.Gmc. *wit- "to know" (cf. Ger. weisen "to show, point out," wissen "to know;" O.E. witan "to see"). Cognate with Pers. bin- "to see" (present stem of didan "to see"); Mid.Pers. wyn-; O.Pers. vain- "to see;" Av. vaēn- "to see;" Skt. veda "I know;" Gk. oida "I know," idein "to see;" L. videre "to see;" PIE base *weid- "to know, to see."

Mowjbar, from mowj, → wave, + -bar "carrier," from bordan "to carry, lead" (Mid.Pers. burdan, O.Pers./Av. bar- "to bear, carry," barəθre "to bear (infinitive)," Skt. bharati "he carries," Gk. pherein, L. fero "to carry;" PIE base *bher- "to carry").

The distance between two successive points in the wave that are characterized by the same phase of oscillation; e.g. → de Broglie wavelength; → Compton wavelength; → blaze wavelength; → peak wavelength; → center wavelength; → central wavelength; → cutoff wavelength.

→ wave; → length.

A small wave; ripple.

→ wave + -let a diminutive suffix.

A refinement of → Fourier analysis which enables to simplify the description of a complicated function in terms of a small number of coefficients. The formal history of wavelet theory began in the early 1980s when Jean Morlet, a French geophysicist, introduced the concept of wavelet and studied wavelet transform as a new tool for scientific signal analysis. In 1984, his collaboration with Alex Grossmann yielded a detailed mathematical study of the continuous wavelet transforms and their various applications. Although similar results had already been obtained 20-50 years earlier by several other researchers, the rediscovery of the old concepts provided a new method for decomposing functions.

→ wavelet; → theory.

A space telescope launched by NASA in 2001 which measures the temperature fluctuations in the → cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. It creates a full-sky map of the CMB, with a 13 arcminute resolution via multi-frequency observations. WMAP is the first mission to use a → Lagrangian point L2 as its permanent observing station at a distance of 1.5 million km. WMAP completed its prime two years of mission operations in September 2003 and is continuing in 2009 its observations for still several years to come. WMAP's measurements have played a considerable role in establishing the current standard model of cosmology. They are consistent with a Universe that is dominated by → dark energy, with negative pressure or a → cosmological constant. In this model, the age of the Universe is 13.73 ± 0.12 billion years. The current expansion rate of the Universe measured by the Hubble constant, is 70.5 ± 1.3 km·s^-1 Mpc^-1. The content of the Universe consists of 4.56% ± 0.15% ordinary → baryonic matter, 22.8% ± 1.3% → cold dark matter, and 72.6% ± 1.5% of → dark energy, that accelerates the → expansion of the Universe.

WMAP, short for Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, in honor of David Todd Wilkinson (1935-2002), who had been a member of the mission's science team.