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

1) The gaseous envelope surrounding a star, planet, or moon. Several solar system planets retain considerable atmospheres, due to their strong gravitational force. The gas motions in the planetary atmosphere, as a response to the heating, coupled with the rotation forces, generate the meteorological systems. The planetary satellites → Titan and → Triton also have atmospheres (M.S.: SDE).
2) A unit of pressure, called standard atmosphere, which is the pressure of air balanced by a column of mercury 76 cm high with a density of the mercury of 13.595 g/cm³ at normal acceleration of gravity. Such a column applies a pressure equal to its weight to each square cm, or 1.01325 x 10⁶ dynes/cm² = 1.01325 x 10⁵ N/m². Since this pressure is equal to 1.03323 kilograms of force per square centimeter, instead of it use is often made of the technical atmosphere (at), exactly equal to 1 kgf/cm².

New L. atmosphaera, from Gk. atmos "vapor" + spharia "sphere."

Havâsepehr, from Mod.Pers. havâ, → air, + sepehr, → sphere. Javv "air, atmosphere," from Ar. jauw.

Pertaining to or existing in the atmosphere of an astronomical object such as a planet, moon, or star.

→ atmosphere; → -ic.

The absorption of → electromagnetic radiation in the → atmosphere mainly by → water vapor, → carbon dioxide, and oxygen. The atmosphere introduces two more limiting factors in → remote sensing: → atmospheric scattering and → atmospheric turbulence.

→ atmospheric; → absorption.

The large-scale movements of air around areas of high and low pressure whereby heat is distributed on the surface of the Earth. Atmospheric motion is driven by uneven heating of the planet. The atmosphere (and ocean) → transfers the excess heat from → tropics to → poles. The flow is determined by balance between → pressure gradients and the → Coriolis effect.

→ atmospheric; → circulation.

The splitting of starlight into a spectrum in the atmosphere because the atmosphere acts as a refracting prism. This phenomenon brings about a practical problem for spectroscopic observations using a slit. → differential refraction; → atmospheric refraction.

→ atmospheric; → dispersion.

The emission of electromagnetic radiation from the atmosphere due to thermal and → non-thermal processes. → Thermal emission comes mainly from → water vapor. Non-thermal processes result in emission lines oxygen (optical) and OH (near-IR). Atmospheric emission is a very significant source of noise in astronomical observations. See also → airglow, → aurora.

→ atmospheric; → emission.

A process by which a planet loses its atmospheric gases to space. There are three main types: 1) → thermal escape, 2) → suprathermal escape (or → nonthermal escape), and 3) → impact erosion. According to models, the two mechanisms that can most efficiently cause substantial atmospheric loss are hydrodynamic escape and impact erosion (see, e.g., Catling, D. C. and Kasting, J. F., 2017, Escape of Atmospheres to Space, pp. 129-167. Cambridge University Press).

→ atmospheric; → escape.

The decrease in the intensity of light from a celestial body due to absorption and scattering by Earth's atmosphere. It increases from the zenith to the horizon and affects short wavelengths more than long wavelengths, so that objects near the horizon appear redder than they do at the zenith.

→ atmospheric; → extinction.

A → subatomic particle produced when → primary cosmic rays, impinge on the Earth's atmosphere producing a particle cascade, in which secondary particles decay into → muons. In the energy range up to 100 → GeV atmospheric muons come mostly from the decay of secondary → pions: π^±→ μ^± + anti-ν_μ. At higher energies, the → kaon contribution to the muon flux become significant, reaching the asymptotic value of 27% at about 10 TeV: K^±→ μ^± + anti-ν_μ.

→ atmospheric; → muon.

A neutrino produced in the collision of → cosmic rays (typically → protons) with nuclei in the → upper atmosphere. This creates a shower of → hadrons, mostly → pions. The pions decay to a → muon and a muon neutrino. The muons decay to an → electron, another muon neutrino, and an electron neutrino.

→ atmospheric; → neutrino.

Noise in radio wavelengths caused by natural atmospheric processes, mainly lightening discharges in thunderstorms. They can affect radio observations.

→ atmospheric; → noise.

The shift in apparent direction of a celestial object caused by the bending of light while passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Since the density of the atmosphere decreases with altitude, the starlight will bend more as it continues down through the atmosphere. As a result, a star will appear higher in the sky than its true direction.

→ atmospheric; → refraction.

The → scattering of → electromagnetic radiation by various particles in the Earth's → atmosphere. The phenomenon is caused by collisions between photons and several scattering agents such as atoms, molecules, → aerosols, and water droplets in clouds. → Rayleigh scattering.

→ atmospheric; → scattering.

Random fluctuations of the atmosphere caused by the constant injection of energy into the atmosphere from solar and local sources, changing the temperature and pressure of the air where it is absorbed and leading to fluid instabilities. The development over time of the instabilities gives rise to fluctuations in the density of air, and therefore the → refractive index of the atmosphere. → turbulence; → seeing.

→ atmospheric; → turbulence.

Gaps in → atmospheric absorption, allowing a range of electromagnetic wavelengths to pass through the atmosphere and reach the Earth.

→ atmospheric; → window.

A coral island or group of coral islands forming a ring that is surrounded by deep ocean water and that encloses a shallow lagoon. Atolls range in diameter from about 1 km to over 100 km and are especially common in the western and central Pacific Ocean. They are believed to form along the fringes of underwater volcanoes. → atoll source.

From atollon, atolon, from Divehi (Indo-Aryan language of the Maldive Islands) atolu "reef."

A member of a class of → low-mass X-ray binary systems containing low-magnetic field → neutron stars. They have soft spectra and no pulsations. An example is 4U 1705-44. See also → Z source.

→ atoll; the name derives from the fact that on X-ray → color-color diagrams these sources often resemble a band of points at constant hard X-ray color, with "islands" of points appearing on time-scales of weeks and months.

The smallest stable unit forming the basic elements. An atom consists of positively charged → protons and → neutrons in the nucleus surrounded by negatively charged → electrons.

From L. atomus, from Gk. atomos "uncut," from → a- "not" + tomos "a cutting," from temnein "to cut."

Of or relating to an atom or atoms; of or employing nuclear energy.

Atomic, adj. from → atom + suffix → -ic

A modern clock, in which the characteristic frequencies of certain atoms (most commonly chosen cesium 133) are utilized for precision time measurement. → atomic fountain clock.

→ atomic; → clock.