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Appendix E: Glossary, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
Pages 133-144

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From page 133...
... APPENDIX E 133 E Glossary, Acronyms, and Abbreviations Accretion, accretion disk: Astronomical objects as diverse as protostars and active galaxies may derive their energy from the gravitational power released by the infall, or accretion, of material onto a central object. The combined effects of gravity and rotation often force the accreting material into an orbiting accretion disk.
From page 134...
... 134 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION Anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) : Cosmic rays that originate from the interstellar space beyond the heliopause and differ from other types of cosmic rays in that they are singly charged, contain more helium than protons, and contain more oxygen than carbon.
From page 135...
... APPENDIX E 135 Corona: The luminous "atmosphere" of the Sun extending millions of kilometers into space. Coronal mass ejection (CME)
From page 136...
... 136 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION Dynamo: An electromagnetic process in which the movement of conductive material gives rise to a magnetic field. Eccentricity: A measure of how much an orbit's shape deviates from a circle.
From page 137...
... APPENDIX E 137 Gamma ray: Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths less than 0.00001 micron, more energetic than x-rays. Gamma-ray burst (GRB)
From page 138...
... 138 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION Interferometer: An optical system in which radiation from multiple sources is combined and the resulting interference pattern is used to provide information on the nature and configuration of the sources. Interplanetary Monitoring Platform (IMP)
From page 139...
... APPENDIX E 139 kWe: Kilowatt-electric, a unit of electrical power (e.g., the total amount of electrical power produced by a nuclear reactor, which is substantially less than the total thermal power because of the inefficiencies in converting thermal energy to electrical energy)
From page 140...
... NRC: National Research Council. NTP: Nuclear-thermal propulsion, a nuclear propulsion system that converts the thermal energy produced by a nuclear reactor directly into thrust, for example, by heating hydrogen, which is then exhausted through a propulsion nozzle.
From page 141...
... APPENDIX E 141 Obliquity: The angle between the orbital plane of an object and the plane of its rotational equator. Occultation: The disappearance of the light of a celestial body owing to the intervention of another body of larger apparent size across the line of sight.
From page 142...
... 142 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION Rankine power conversion: A closed-cycle power-conversion system commonly found in power generation plants. Heat is added at constant pressure in a boiler, which converts the working fluid (e.g., water)
From page 143...
... SRG: Stirling radioisotope generator. SSB: Space Studies Board.
From page 144...
... 144 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION Stratigraphy: The study of the relationships between stratified rocks. String theory: A new physical theory that is described as being both a consistent quantum theory of gravity and a unified theory of all particles and forces.


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