`
`
`
`
`
`
`,
`McGraw-llill
`IIIC’I‘IIINAIRY 0F
`SCIEU’I‘II’II} ANII
`’I‘ E‘JHNI‘IAIA
`TERMS
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`FIDIII’III Edition
`
`§vlnil I'. Parker
`
`EDITOR IN CHIEF
`
`McGRAW-Hlll BOOK COMPANY
`
`New York
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`FINISAR 1019
`
`FINISAR 1019
`
`

`

`intent:
`aaxfi>m~<ss§a
`
`
`1.1.1.1.“..."was
`
`mputer-generated
`On the cover: Pattern produced from white light by a co d in a 23 x 23 array.
`diffraction plate containing 529 square apertures arrange
`(R. B. Hoover, Marshall Space Flight Center)
`On the title pages: Aerial photograph of the Sinai Pen
`spacecraft. (NASA)
`
`insula made by Gemini
`
`shed previously in the following
`Included in this Dictionary are definitions which have been publi
`ncyclopedia, Copyright © 1969 by McGraw-Hill, Inc.
`works: P. B. Jordain, Condensed Computer E
`(1 Nucleonics Dictionary, 4th ed., Copyright © 1960,
`All rights reserved. I. Markus, Electronics on
`ck, Artists’ and Illustrators’ Encyclopedia,
`1966, 1978 by McGraw—Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. .1. Qui
`Copyright © 1969 by McGraw—Hill, Inc. All rights reserved.
`rights reserved. T. Baumeister and
`3d ed., Copyright © 1956, 1972 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All
`L. 5. Marks, eds., Standard Handbookfor Mechanical Engineers, 7th ed., Copyright © 1958, 1967
`by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved.
`5: R. E. Huschke, Glossary of
`5 been drawn from the following reference
`ry of Standardized Terms,
`In addition, material ha
`Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, 1959', U.S. Air Force Glossa
`AF Manual 1L1, vol. 1, 1972; Commanications—Electronics Terminology, AF Manual 11—1, vol. 3,
`1970; W. H. Allen, ed., Dictionary of Technical Termsfor Aerospace Use, lst ed., National Aero—
`nautics and Space Administration, 1965; J. M. Gilliland, Solar—Terrestrial Physics: A Glossary of
`Terms and Abbreviations, Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical Report 67158, 1967; Glossary of
`Air Trafic Control Terms, Federal Aviation Agency; A Glossary ofRange Terminology, White Sands
`Missile Range, New Mexico, National Bureau ofStandards, AD 467424; A DOD Glossary ofMapping,
`Charting and Geodetic Terms, lst ed., Department of Defense, 1967; P. W. Thrush, comp. and ed.,
`A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms, Bureau of Mines, 1968; Nuclear Terms: A
`Glossary, 2d ed., Atomic Energy Commission; F. Casey, ed., Compilation of Terms in Information
`Sciences Technology, Federal Council for Science and Technology, 1970', Glossary ofStinfo Termi—
`nology, Office of Aerospace Research, US. Air Force, 1963; Naval Dictionary ofElectronic, Tech-
`nical, and Imperative Terms, Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1962; ADP Glossary, Department of the
`
`Navy, NAVSO 13-3097.
`
`McGRAW-HILL DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMS,
`Fourth Edition
`McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserve
`Copyright © 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by
`(1 under the United States Copyright
`the United States of America. Except as permitte
`ributed in any form or by any means,
`no part of this publication may be reproduced or dist
`sion of the publisher.
`in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permis
`
`(1. Printed in
`Act of 1976,
`or stored
`
`234567890
`
`DOW/DOW
`
`ISBN 0—07-095270-‘3
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in—Publication Data
`McGraw-Hill dictionary of scientific and technical terms,
`1. SciencerDictionaries.
`2. Technology-aDictionaries.
`1. Parker, Sybil P.
`,
`Q123.M34
`1989
`503721
`'
`88-13490
`ISBN 0-07—045270-9
`
`For more infor
`United States.
`
`w-Hill materials, call 1-800-2-MCGRAW in the
`mation about other McGra
`st McGraw-Hill office.
`In other countries, call your neare
`
`
`
`

`

`faveguide cavity
`
`
`
`
`
`e bend in a rectangular waveguide is bent along the narrow
`nsion, while an H-plane bend is bent along the wide
`
`heniion. Also known as waveguide elbow.
`{'wavgid
`d
`
`veguide cavity [ELECTROMAG] Acavity resonator formed
`
`nclosing a section of waveguide between a pair of wave-
`
`e windows which form shunt susceptances.
`{ 'wav,gid
`
`
`[ELECTROMAG] A mechanical device
`eguide connector
`
`~«electrically joining and locking together separable mating
`
`,, of a waveguide system. Also known as waveguide cou-
`{ 'wav,gid kstnek-tar }
`
`guide coupler See waveguide connector.
`-lar }
`
`[ELEchOMAG] Dimension
`guide critical dimension
`
`{waveguide cross section which determines the cutoff fre-
`cy.
`{ 'wav.gid 'krid'e'kol da'men‘shan }
`
`to
`Frequency
`uide cutoff frequency
`[ELECTROMAG]
`ill of propagation along a waveguide for waves of a given
`configuration.
`{ 'wavlgid ‘kcdpf ,fré-kwon-sé }
`‘
`
`guide discontinuity See
`discontinuity.
`{ 'wav,gid
`ant-cn'fi'ed-é }
`
`{ 'wavlgid tel-b6 }
`~guide elbow See waveguide bend.
`guide filter
`[ELECTROMAG] A filter made up of wave—
`
`ide components, used to change the amplitude-frequency
`onse characteristic of a waveguide system.
`{ 'wav,gid [fil-
`
`guide hybrid [ELECTROMAG] A waveguide circuit that
`
`four arms so arranged that a signal entering through one
`“ will divide and emerge from the two adjacent arms, but
`"be unable to reach the opposite arm.
`{ 'wévgid 'hi-brad }
`'
`‘
`{ 'wav,gid [jcnkshan }
`{ 'wav,gid {plan-jar }
`
`{ 'wav,gid [prob }
`eguide probe See probe.
`
`eguide propagation
`[COMMUN]
`Long~range commu—
`
`tions in the lO—kilohertz frequency range by the waveguide
`
`"ziracteristics of the atmospheric duct formed by the iono-
`
`ric D layer and the surface of the earth.
`{ ’wavlgid ,prap-
`
`shah }
`
`eguige resonator See cavity resonator.
`d-ar
`
`eguide shim [ELECTROMAG] Thin resilient metal sheet
`
`rted between waveguide components to ensure electrical
`tact.
`{ 'anIgid Ishim }
`
`leguide slot
`[ELECTROMAG] A slot in a waveguide wall,
`titer for coupling with a coaxial cable or another waveguide,
`
`0 permit the insertion of a traveling probe for examination
`
`tanding waves.
`{ 'wav,gid ,slat ]
`eguide switch
`[ELECTROMAG] A switch designed for
`
`hanically positioning a waveguide section so as to couple
`
`gto one of several other sections in a waveguide system.
`
`avlgid lswich }
`
`{ 'wav,gid [win-do }
`eguide window See iris.
`
`The height of a water—surface
`eheight
`[OCEANOGR]
`
`e is generally taken as the height difference between the
`
`e crest and the preceding trough.
`[PHYS] Twice the wave
`
`litude.
`{ 'wav |hit }
`
`[NAV] A correction to a sextant
`e-height correction
`ude required because of the elevation of parts of the sea
`
`‘ ace by wave action.
`{ 'wav [hit ka'rek-shsn }
`
`ilelmpedance
`[ELECTROMAG] The ratio, at every point
`
`specified plane of a waveguide, of the transverse component
`
`fthe electric field to the transverse component of the magnetic
`
`lad.
`{ 'an im.péd-ons }
`
`‘
`[PHYS] The average amount of energy trans~
`
`‘rted by a wave in the direction of wave propagation, per unit
`a per unit time.
`{ ‘wav in‘ten-sode }
`
`Ive interference See interference.
`{ ‘wav ,in-tar‘fir'ans }
`
`elength
`[PHYS] The distance between two points having
`we same phase in two consecutive cycles of a periodic wave,
`
`ng a line in the direction of propagation.
`{ 'wavJegkth }
`
`
`elpngth constantSee phase constant.
`{ 'wav,lenkth ,k'an-
`ant
`
`iivelength shifter
`[ELECTR] A photoiiuorescent compound
`
`sed with a scintillator material to increase the wavelengths of
`
`”e optical photons emitted by the scintillator, thereby permit-
`
`‘pg more efficient use of the photons by the phototube or
`photocell.
`{ 'wav,lenkth ,shif-tsr }
`Accurately measured
`
`‘avelength standards
`[SPECT]
`
`
`{'wav,gid
`
`{ “wav, gid :I‘CZ'
`
`wave-shaping circuit
`
`i
`
`2051
`
`WAVE LLlTE
`
`
`
`l—-——————-———
`2.5 cm i
`Wavellite in globular aggre ates,
`found in Devonshixe, Englgnd.
`(Specimen from Department of
`Geology, Bryn Mawr College)
`
`WAVE MOTION
`———>c=f>\
`
`
`
`distance
`
`amplitude. A
`
`
`
`wavelength. A
`
`Relation between frequency f,
`wavelength A, and velocity c in
`wave motion.
`
`{ 'wav
`
`‘
`
`lengths of waves emitted by specified light sources for the
`purpose of obtaining the wavelengths in other spectra by inter—
`polating between the'standards.
`{ 'wa‘tVJenkth ,stan-dardz }
`wave line See swash mark.
`{ 'wav Ilin }
`wavellite
`[MINERAL] AI3(PO4)2(OH3)‘5HZO A white to yel—
`low, green, or black mineral crystallizing in the orthorhombic
`system and occurring in small hemispherical aggregates.
`{ 'wa-vaJit }
`{ 'wav.mark }
`wavemark See swash mark.
`wave mechanics See Schrodinger’s wave mechanics.
`mi.kan'iks }
`[ENG] A device for measuring the geometrical
`wavemeter
`spacing between successive surfaces of equal phase in an elec—
`tromagnetic wave.
`{ 'wav,méd~sr }
`wave microphone
`[ENG ACOUS] Any microphone whose
`directivity depends upon some type of wave interference, such
`as a line microphone or a reflector microphone.
`{ 'wav 'mi-
`krs,f6n }
`[PHYS] The process by which a disturbance at
`wave motion
`one point is propagated to another point more remote from the
`source with no net transport of the material of the medium
`itself; examples include the motion of electromagnetic waves,
`sound waves. hydrodynamic waves in liquids, and vibration
`waves in solids. Also known as propagation; wave propaga-
`tion.
`{ 'wav Imo'shan }
`wave motor
`[MECH ENG] A motor that depends on the lifting
`power of sea waves to develop its usable energy.
`{ ‘wav ,m6d~
`9r }
`[ELECTR] Noise in the electric current of a de-
`wave noise
`tector that results from fluctuations in the intensity of electro-
`magnetic radiation falling on the detector.
`{ 'wav Inoiz }
`wave normal
`[PHYS]
`1. A unit vector which is perpendicular
`to an equiphase surface of a wave, and has its positive direction
`on the same side of the surface as the direction of propagation.
`2. One of a family of curves which are everywhere perpendic-
`ular to the equiphase surfaces of a wave.
`{ 'wav 'nor-mal }
`wave number
`[PHYS] The reciprocal of the wavelength of a
`wave, or sometimes 2n divided by the wavelength. Also
`known as reciprocal wavelength.
`{ 'wav ,nam‘bar }
`wave optics
`[OPTICS] The branch of optics which treats of
`light (or electromagnetic radiation in general) with explicit
`recognition of its wave nature.
`{ 'wav ,éip-tiks }
`wave packet
`[PHYS]
`ln wave phenomena, a superposition
`of waves of differing lengths, so phased that
`the resultant
`amplitude is negligibly small except in a limited portion of
`space whose dimensions are the dimensions of the packet.
`{ 'wav ,pak-at }
`wave-particle duality [QUANT MECH] The principle that both
`matter and electromagnetic radiation exhibit phenomena in
`which they behave as waves and other phenomena in which
`they behave as particles, the two aspects being associated by
`the‘de Broglie relations. Also known as duality principle;
`wave-corpuscle duality.
`{ 'an ‘pard'o-kcl dii'al-ed-e } .
`wave period
`[PHYS]
`The time between the attainment of
`successive maxima, at a fixed point, of a quantity characterizing
`a wave.
`{ ‘wav Ipir-e-cd }
`wave plate
`[OPTICS] A plate of material which is linearly
`birefringent. Also known as retardation plate; retardation
`sheet.
`{ 'wav ,plat}
`{ 'wav 'plat,férm }
`wave platform See wave—cut platform.
`wave polarization See polarization.
`{ 'wav ,po'lo'raga-shen }
`wave propagation See wave motion.
`{ ‘wav lprdp-sgé-shon }
`wave refraction
`[PHYS] The process by which the direction
`of a wave train moving in shallow water at an angle to the
`contours is changed.
`{ 'wz'Iv rilfrak'shsn }
`wave ripple mark See oscillation ripple mark.
`,miirk }
`[OCEANOGR] A decrease in the mean water
`wave setdown
`level in the region in which breakers form near the seashore,
`caused by the presence of a pressure field.
`{ 'wav ‘set.daun }
`wave setup [OCEANOGR] An increase in the mean water level
`shoreward of the region in which breakers form at the seashore,
`caused by the onshore flux of momentum against the beach.
`{ 'wav 'sed,ap}
`wave shaper
`[ENG] Of explosives, an insert or core of inert
`material or of explosives having different detonation rates, used
`for}changing the Shape of the detonation wave.
`{ 'wav ship-
`or
`[ELECTR] An electronic circuit used
`wave-shaping circuit
`
`{ 'wév 'rip‘al
`
`