Dictionary of Geophysics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy.pdf

DICTIONARY OF

GEOPHYSICS,

ASTROPHYSICS,

AND

ASTRONOMY

COMPREHENSIVE DICTIONARY

OF PHYSICS

Dipak Basu

Editor-in-Chief

PUBLISHED VOLUMES

Dictionary of Pure and Applied Physics

Dipak Basu

Dictionary of Material Science

and High Energy Physics

Dipak Basu

Dictionary of Geophysics, Astrophysics,

and Astronomy

Richard A. Matzner

A VOLUME IN THE

COMPREHENSIVE DICTIONARY

OF PHYSICS

DICTIONARY OF

GEOPHYSICS,

ASTROPHYSICS,

AND

ASTRONOMY

Edited by

Richard A. Matzner

CRC Press

Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dictionary of geophysics, astrophysics, and astronomy / edited by Richard A. Matzner.

p. cm. — (Comprehensive dictionary of physics)

ISBN 0-8493-2891-8 (alk. paper)

1. Astronomy—Dictionaries. 2. Geophysics—Dictionaries. I. Matzner, Richard A.

(Richard Alfred), 1942- II. Series.

QB14 .D53 2001

520

2001025764

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with

permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish

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′

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Trademark Notice:

PREFACE

-rays, X-rays, infrared, radio) and in new ﬁelds: neutrino and

(soon) gravitational wave astronomy. High resolution mapping of planets continuously yields new

discoveries in the history and the environment of the solar system. Theoretical developments are

matching these observational results, with new understandings from the largest cosmological scale to

the interior of the planets. Geophysics mirrors and drives this research in its study of our own planet,

and the analogies it ﬁnds in other solar system bodies. Climate change (atmospheric and oceanic

long-timescale dynamics) is a transcendingly important societal, as well as scientiﬁc, issue. This

dictionary provides the background and context for development for decades to come in these and

related ﬁelds. It is our hope that this dictionary will be of use to students and established researchers

alike.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Helen Nelson, and later, Ms. Colleen McMil-

lon, in the construction of this work. Finally, I acknowledge the debt I owe to Dr. C.F. Keller, and to

the late Prof. Dennis Sciama, who so broadened my horizons in the subjects of this dictionary.

Richard Matzner

Austin, Texas

This work is the result of contributions from 52 active researchers in geophysics, astrophysics

and astronomy. We have followed a philosophy of directness and simplicity, while still allowing

contributors ﬂexibility to expand in their own areas of expertise. They are cited in the contributors’

list, but I take this opportunity to thank the contributors for their efforts and their patience.

The subject areas of this dictionary at the time of this writing are among the most active of the

physical sciences. Astrophysics and astronomy are enjoying a new golden era, with remarkable

observations in new wave bands (

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