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

Of an approach or study that juxtaposes disciplinary perspectives, adding breadth and available knowledge, information, and methods. The involved disciplines speak as separate voices in encyclopedic alignment. The status quo is not interrogated, and disciplinary elements retain their original identity. See also → interdisciplinary and → transdisciplinary (Thompson Klein, J. 2010, Creating Interdisciplinary Campus Culture, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).

→ multi-; → disciplinary.

A stellar system with more than one orbiting planet.

→ multi-; → planet; → system.

Consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, etc.
Math.: A number that contains another number an integral number of times without a remainder: 25 is a multiple of 5.

From Fr. multiple, from L.L. multiplus "manifold," from L. → multi- "many, much" + -plus "fold," from base of plicare "to fold, twist."

Bastâ-, from bas "many, much" (Mid.Pers. vas "many, much;" O.Pers. vasiy "at will, greatly, utterly;" Av. varəmi "I wish," vasô, vasə "at one's pleasure or will," from vas- "to will, desire, wish") + tâ "fold, plait, ply; piece, part," also a multiplicative suffix; Mid.Pers. tâg "piece, part."

The division of a relatively long exposure into several successive shorter ones, e.g. to avoid detector saturation.

→ multiple; → exposure.

A series of successive integrations in which the integral operator acts on the result of preceding integration.

→ multiple; → integral.

A process of → radiative transfer in which more than one → scattering event may be of importance before → transmission, → reflection, or → absorption. In → radiation-driven winds photon scattering can take place in different → spectral lines. Each scattering occurs in a different spectral line, and successive scatterings occur at lower energies (longer wavelength). The standard theory of line driving (→ CAK model) assumes that photons can be scattered only once in the wind, which is a reasonable assumption for normal → O stars. In → Wolf-Rayet stars, where photons evolve in an atmosphere with a strong → ionization stratification, multiple scattering is important. Indeed the strength of W-R winds appears to exceed the single scattering limit.

→ multiple; → scattering.

A star which appears single but is in fact composed of more than two components. See also → multiple star system; → binary star; → triple star.

→ multiple; → star.

A stellar system composed of several stars bound together by gravitational attraction and revolving around a common center of mass.

→ multiple; → star; → system.

1) A system consisting of several → components.
2) → multiple star system.

→ multiple; → system.

A group of spectral lines arising from transitions having a common lower energy level.

From → multi- + -plet on the model of triplet.

Bastâyé, from bastâ-→ multi- + euphonic -yé, from -é nuance suffix.

A number to be multiplied by another.

From L. multiplicandum, from multiplicandus "to be multiplied," gerundive of multiplicare, → multiply.

Bastâšow, literally "that undergoes multiplication," from bastâ, → multiple, + šow, present stem and agent noun of šodan "to become, to be, to be doing, to go, to pass," from Mid.Pers. šudan, šaw- "to go;" Av. šiyav-, š(ii)auu- "to move, go," šiyavati "goes," šyaoθna- "activity; action; doing, working;" O.Pers. šiyav- "to go forth, set," ašiyavam "I set forth;" cf. Skt. cyu- "to move to and fro, shake about; to stir," cyávate "stirs himself, goes;" Gk. kinein "to move;" Goth. haitan "call, be called;" O.E. hatan "command, call;" PIE base *kei- "to move to and fro."

In general, the process of repeatedly adding a quantity to itself a certain number of times, or any other process which has the same result.

Verbal noun of → multiply.

The sign used to indicate multiplication, either a times sign (×), a centered dot (·), or an asterisk. The multiplication sign was introduced by William Oughtred in 1631.

→ multiplication; → sign.

Involving → multiplication.

From multiplicate, → multiply, + → -ive.

The number which when used as the multiplier of another number leaves the second unchanged; one.

→ multiplicative; → identity.

The number which when used as a multiplier of another number (except 0) produces 1. For example (1/5) x 5 = 1; each of the numbers is the multiplicative inverse of the other.

→ multiplicative; → inverse.

1) The state of being multiple, made of several components.
2) In atomic and nuclear physics, the number of → levels into which the energy of an atom, molecule, or nucleus splits as a result of → Russell-Saunders coupling between → orbital angular momentum and → spin angular momentum. It is given by 2S+1, where S is the total electron → spin quantum number. The multiplicity of an energy level is indicated by a left superscript to the value of L, where L is the resultant electron orbital angular momentum of the individual electron orbital angular momenta.
3) In → statistical mechanics, the number of → microstates corresponding to a given → macrostate.

→ multiple; → -ity.

Arithmetic: A number by which another is multiplied. Physics: A device for intensifying some effect.

Agent noun of → multiply.

To make many or manifold; increase the number, quantity, etc., of.
Arithmetic: To find the product of by multiplication.

O.Fr. multiplier, from L. multiplicare "to increase," from multiplex (gen. multiplicis) "having many folds, many times as great in number," from multi- "many" + base of plicare "to lay, fold, twist."

Bastâyidan, from bastâ, → multiple, + -idan infinitive suffix.

An entity consisting of several poles.

→ multi-; → pole.