An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

4 terms — Z › Z

Z ZA ZE ZH ZI ZO ZR ZZ

Z boson   بوسون ِ Z   boson-e Z Fr.: boson Z An electrically neutral subatomic particle that along with → W boson mediates the → weak nuclear force. Like the photon, the Z boson is its own antiparticle. See also: → boson.

Z Canis Majoris (Z CMa) Z CMa Fr.: Z CMa A luminous → FU Orionis object consisting of two young stars in a → binary system, a → Herbig Be star embedded in a dust cocoon and a less massive component located 0.1 arcsecond south-east. It is associated with a very large-scale and high-velocity → bipolar outflow extending in total 3.6 pc (for a distance of 1150 pc) with radial velocities up to -620 km/sec. The outflow is traced by a → jet and at least 15 → Herbig-Haro objects. In 2008 Z CMa showed the largest “outburst” ever reported in the past 90 years. See also: → Canis Major.

Z source   خن ِ Z   xan-e Z Fr.: source Z A member of a class of → low-mass X-ray binary systems containing low-magnetic field → neutron stars. See also → atoll source. See also: The name derives from the fact that on X-ray → color-color diagrams Z sources usually form a Z shape that is traced on timescales of hours to days; → source

Z-number   عدد ِ اتمی   adad-e atomi (#) Fr.: nombre atomique Same as → atomic number. See also: Z, from the German word Zahl “number, numeral, figure,” which was used to specify an element’s numerical place in the → periodic table; → number.