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842 terms · page 8 of 36
Debye Length
The characteristic spatial scale over which mobile charge carriers in a plasma screen out localized electrostatic potentials.
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsDecay Constant
The probability per unit time that an individual radioactive nucleus will undergo spontaneous nuclear decay.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsDecibel Scale
A logarithmic scale used to express sound intensity or sound pressure level relative to a reference threshold.
Geophysics & Environmental PhysicsDendrochronology
The scientific discipline of dating annual tree rings to reconstruct past local climate conditions and calendar dates.
Plasma PhysicsDense Plasma Focus
A pulsed plasma device that uses electromagnetic forces to accelerate and pinch a plasma column into a short-lived, high-density hot spot.
Foundations of PhysicsDensity
The mass per unit volume of a substance under specified temperature and pressure conditions.
Foundations of PhysicsDependent Variable
The factor measured or observed in an experiment that changes in response to manipulations of the independent variable.
Thermodynamics & Statistical PhysicsDeposition
The direct phase transition of a gas into a solid without passing through an intermediate liquid phase.
Foundations of PhysicsDerived Units
Units of measurement formed as algebraic combinations of the seven fundamental SI base units.
Electromagnetism & ElectronicsDiamagnetism
A universal weak magnetic property of matter where applied magnetic fields induce opposing atomic orbital currents that weakly repel the…
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsDifferential Equation
A mathematical equation relating an unknown function to its derivatives with respect to one or more independent variables.
OpticsDiffraction
The bending, spreading, and interference of light waves around the edges of an obstacle or through a narrow aperture.
OpticsDiffraction Grating
An optical element with a periodic structure of thousands of closely spaced parallel rulings or lines that disperses light into its…
Foundations of PhysicsDimensional Analysis
An analytical method used to verify equation consistency and establish mathematical relationships between physical quantities by examining…
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsDirac Delta Function
A generalized function (distribution) that is zero everywhere except at x = 0 where it is infinite, with an integral over all space equal…
Condensed Matter & Materials PhysicsDislocation
A 1D line defect or irregularity in a crystal lattice where atomic planes are misaligned, governing plastic deformation in metals.
OpticsDispersive Power
A dimensionless material property measuring a prism or lens material's ability to separate different spectral wavelengths.
Electromagnetism & ElectronicsDisplacement Current
A fictitious effective current term introduced by Maxwell to account for magnetic field generation by time-varying electric fields.
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsDivergence
A scalar differential operator measuring the net outward flux density of a vector field from an infinitesimal volume around a given point.
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsDivergence Theorem
A fundamental theorem of vector calculus stating that the outward flux of a vector field through a closed surface ∂V equals the volume…
Plasma PhysicsDivertor
A component in a fusion tokamak that uses magnetic null points (X-points) to extract helium ash and heat exhaust from the plasma edge.
Biophysics & Medical PhysicsDNA Biophysics
The physical study of mechanical stiffness, elasticity, topology, and base-pairing thermodynamics of double-stranded DNA.
Condensed Matter & Materials PhysicsDoping
The intentional insertion of trace impurity atoms into an intrinsic semiconductor lattice to drastically modulate its electrical…
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsDoppler Effect
The apparent shift in observed wave frequency caused by relative motion between the wave source and the observer.