An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → thermodynamic process that takes place at → constant  → temperature. For the temperature of a system to remain strictly constant, the changes in other coordinates (pressure and volume) must be carried out slowly, and → heat must enter or leave the system to maintain a constant
temperature. → polytropic process. Astrophysical examples include the → collapse of a → protostar down the → Hayashi track, and the collapse of a star at the end of its life to become a → white dwarf.

See also: → isothermal; → process.