Astrophysics terms starting with C

12 terms

  1. c, speed of light The speed that light travels in a vacuum. It is about 3 x 108 m/s (186,000 miles/s).
  2. Closed Universe A universe where the geometry of space closes upon itself like the surface of a sphere.
  3. cluster Clusters are fixed length blocks of bytes that store data for Microsoft operating systems.
  4. Constant of Proportionality When scientists or theoreticians find a mathematical relationship between two quantities, they design an equation, so that, for example, if one quantity…
  5. COSMIC Having to do with the universe as a whole.
  6. Cosmic Microwave Backgroun (CMB) Radiation filling the universe, remaining from the early, hot phase. (It is sometimes called the "primal glow.") Today this radiation has cooled to 2.
  7. Cosmological Constant, Λ The energy density of the smooth vacuum. Eisntein introduced it as a component of the universe but later withdrew it.
  8. Cosmological Principle A principle invoked in cosmology that severely restricts the large variety of possible cosmological theories: On large scales, the Universe is homogeneous…
  9. Cosmology The study of the universe as a whole, of the contents, structure, and evolution of the universe from the beginning of time to the future.
  10. Coupled to Radiation Matter, such as charged particles, that is strongly affected by radiation.
  11. Critical Density The density of matter/energy that would just halt the expansion of the universe. The dividing line between a collapsing and an ever-expandinguniverse.
  12. Curvature of Spacetime According to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, mass curves space and time.