An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A flow whose parameters are functions of time and two space coordinates (x and y) only. There is no variation in the z direction and therefore the same → streamline pattern could at any instant be found in all planes in the fluid perpendicular to the z direction (B. Massey, Mechanics of Fluids, Taylor & Francis, 2006).

→ two; → dimensional; → flow.

The simultaneous emission of two photons whose sum of energies is equal to that of a single electron transition. The energy of each individual photon of the pair is not fixed, so that the spectrum of two-photon emission is continuous from the wavelength of that transition to infinity. In practice, there is a peak in wavelength distribution of the emitted photons. Two-photon emission is studied atomic physics with application in astrophysics, as it contributes to the continuum radiation from → planetary nebulae. It was recently observed in condensed matter and specifically in → semiconductors.

→ two; → photon; → emission.

A multiple stellar system embedded in a → reflection nebula (NGC 6726/6727) in the → Corona Australis star forming region. The three stars are within 1.5 → astronomical units of each other and lie at a distance of 129 pc. Two of its components form a → double-line eclipsing binary with an orbital period of almost 3 days. The primary is a → main sequence star (mass 3.16 solar masses, effective temperature 12,000 K) and the secondary a → pre-main sequence star (mass 1.64 solar masses, effective temperature 4,900 K) with an age of a few million years. A third spectroscopic component is in a wide orbit around the eclipsing pair. A fourth star is located at a projected distance of about 0.3 arcsecond (40 AU) from the compact tertiary system.

→ Corona Australis.

A → supernova of Type Ia in the constellation → Cassiopeia, which Tycho Brahe observed in November 1572. At its peak it was as bright as Venus and was visible in the daytime, reaching a magnitude of about -4. It is now visible as a → supernova remnant about 20 light-years across at a distance of about 7,500 light-years. It is associated with faint emission in the optical and X-rays, but is a strong radio source. Other designations: SN 1572, 3C 10, B Cas, 2U 0022+63.

Named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who described the event; → star.

A hybrid of → geocentric and → heliocentric systems in which the Earth remains at the center, with the → Sun orbiting the Earth, but with all the other planets revolving about the Sun. Moreover, the fixed stars were located in a crystalline shell centered on the Earth.

Related to the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who imagined the model; → model.

Thin brass disk inserted into the → mater of a → planispheric astrolabe. It carries the grid of → altazimuth coordinates shown in polar → stereographic projection for the → latitude of the specific observation locality. In addition to the main → vertical circles and the main → almucantars, the tympanum reproduces some elements of the → celestial sphere - the → celestial equator, the → tropic of Cancer, and the → tropic of Capricorn, as well as the hour lines for determining the unequal hours of day or night respectively from the Sun's position on the ecliptic or from the altitude of a star marked on the → rete (online museo galileo, VirtualMuseum).

From L. tympanum "drum," from Gk. tympanon "a drum, panel of a door," from root of typtein "to beat, strike."

Hojré, from Ar. hujrah "chamber."

The observation whereby when light passes through a clear fluid holding small particles in suspension, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more strongly than the red. The effect is most commonly known as the → Rayleigh scattering.

Names for John Tyndall (1820-1893), who discovered the effect in 1859.

A group of items that have strongly marked and readily defined similarities.

M.E., from M.Fr., from L. typus "figure, image, form, kind," from Gk. typos "dent, impression, mark, figure, original form," from root of typtein "to strike, beat."

Guné "species; color; form; manner, kind;" Mid.Pers. gônak "kind, species;" Av. gaona- "color; body hair;" PIE base *góur- "(animal) body hair," genitive form *gunós.

A type of → Seyfert galaxy showing both broad and narrow spectral emission lines. The widths of the broad lines indicates velocities around 1000 km s^-1. Sy 1 galaxies are also very bright sources of UV and X-ray emission.

→ type; → one; → Seyfert galaxy.

A type of → Seyfert galaxy showing only narrow emission lines and weak UV and X-ray emissions but strong IR emission.

→ type; → two; → Seyfert galaxy.

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.