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Astronomy

Key Terms

AstronomyKey Terms
conduction
process by which heat is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature between adjoining regions caused by atomic or molecular collisions
convection
movement caused within a gas or liquid by the tendency of hotter, and therefore less dense material, to rise and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat
fission
breaking up of heavier atomic nuclei into lighter ones
fusion
building up of heavier atomic nuclei from lighter ones
helioseismology
study of pulsations or oscillations of the Sun in order to determine the characteristics of the solar interior
hydrostatic equilibrium
balance between the weights of various layers, as in a star or Earth’s atmosphere, and the pressures that support them
neutrino
fundamental particle that has no charge and a mass that is tiny relative to an electron; it rarely interacts with ordinary matter and comes in three different types
positron
particle with the same mass as an electron, but positively charged
proton-proton chain
series of thermonuclear reactions by which nuclei of hydrogen are built up into nuclei of helium
radiation
emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or photons also the transmitted energy itself
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