GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ARK

Reference library

Foundations

Explore concepts, laws, equations and methods, with clear explanations of their use and sources. Choose an area of study or find a specific entry.

More filters

Reference entries

Showing 1021–1050 of 1709 reference entries

Earth & cosmosStellar radial velocity and companion-mass inference

In a Newtonian isolated two-body Keplerian model, the host star's line-of-sight orbital velocity has semi-amplitude K=(2πG/P)^(1/3) Mp sin i/[(Mstar+Mp)^(2/3)√(1−e²)].

Method
Earth & cosmosInitial mass functions and stellar population accounting

For a specified birth population, an initial mass function ξ(m) defines dN=ξ(m)dm on a stated initial-mass interval.

Definition
Earth & cosmosWhite-dwarf mass–radius relation and ideal limiting mass

Cold noninteracting electron support and spherical Newtonian hydrostatic balance give a nonrelativistic n=3/2 polytrope with R proportional to μₑ^(−5/3)M^(−1/3).

Model
Earth & cosmosRotation-powered pulsars and spin-down inference

Neutron-star pulsars have rotating magnetized stellar remnants whose emission can sweep past the observer.

Model
Earth & cosmosCore collapse and thermonuclear stellar explosions

Core-collapse supernovae involve loss of support in an evolved stellar core, rapid contraction and an explosion whose energy transfer involves dense matter and neutrinos.

Model
Earth & cosmosAccretion energy, efficiency and angular-momentum transport

Matter moving inward in a gravitational field can release binding energy if energy is dissipated.

Model
Earth & cosmosEddington luminosity as a conditional force balance

For isotropic luminosity L and a constant flux-weighted opacity per mass κ, outward radiative acceleration is κL/(4πr²c).

Model
Earth & cosmosRoche geometry and binary mass transfer

In a circular two-point-mass binary's corotating frame, the effective potential per mass is Φ_eff=−GM₁/r₁−GM₂/r₂−Ω²(x²+y²)/2, with origin at the barycentre and Ω²=G(M₁+M₂)/a³.

Model
Earth & cosmosAccretion-powered galactic nuclei and observational inference

Active galactic nuclei can radiate strongly as matter accretes around a central supermassive black hole.

Model
Earth & cosmosPrimordial nuclear freeze-out and the deuterium bottleneck

In hot Big-Bang nucleosynthesis, neutron–proton conversion initially approaches chemical equilibrium.

Model
Earth & cosmosRecombination, last scattering and reionization

Atomic recombination binds many previously free electrons and lowers photon-scattering opacity.

Model
Earth & cosmosIonized hydrogen regions and the Strömgren photon budget

An ionization-bounded pure-hydrogen region in steady balance equates absorbed external ionizing photons to net recombinations: Q_H=∫α_B nₑnₚ dV.

Model
Earth & cosmosJeans instability of a local gas model

Linear perturbations in a uniform Newtonian gas model obey ω²=c_s²k²−4πGρ₀.

Model
Earth & cosmosThermal free–free radio emission

Electron–ion acceleration produces continuum emission without capture.

Model
Earth & cosmosSynchrotron emission and electron energy loss

A magnetically deflected electron radiates P=2σ_TcU_Bβ²γ²sin²α.

Model
Earth & cosmosThomson inverse-Compton electron loss

An electron in an isotropic soft-photon field loses net power P_IC=(4/3)σ_TcU_radβ²γ² in the Thomson limit.

Model
Earth & cosmosRepresentative stellar fusion isotope pathways

The ppI branch builds deuterium and helium-3 before combining two helium-3 nuclei.

Model
Earth & cosmosConserved fluxes across a normal gas shock

A steady planar normal shock conserves mass, momentum and total-enthalpy flux across its thin transition: [ρu]=[ρu²+P]=[ρu(h+u²/2)]=0.

Model
Earth & cosmosSolar wind and magnetospheric energy transfer

The solar wind carries charged particles, including protons and electrons, and solar magnetic field into interplanetary space.

Model
Earth & cosmosCosmic-ray composition and secondary-particle evidence

In charged-particle usage, cosmic rays include energetic nuclei and electrons from space.

Empirical finding
Earth & cosmosClassical event horizon and Schwarzschild radius

A classical black-hole event horizon is a causal boundary: signals from its interior cannot reach distant future observers in the exterior.

Definition
Earth & cosmosPoint-mass deflection and Einstein angular radius

A point mass in the weak-field geometric-optics limit deflects light by magnitude α̂=4GM/(c²b).

Method
Earth & cosmosPhoton–baryon acoustic structure in the CMB

Before recombination, scattering tightly coupled photons and baryons.

Model
BiologyCohort survival and net reproduction

A cohort life table follows individuals born together.

Model
BiologyEuler–Lotka growth and age structure

In a fixed density-independent age model, the growth factor λ satisfies Σ_{x≥1}λ^(−x)l_xm_x=1.

Model
BiologyLevins patch occupancy and persistence

A simple internally colonized metapopulation tracks the occupied fraction p of equivalent habitat patches.

Model
BiologyOccupancy and imperfect species detection

Failure to detect a species does not establish absence.

Method
BiologyIndividual-based rarefaction and richness sampling

For a collection containing N individuals with N_i in each observed species, the expected species count in a uniformly drawn subset of n individuals without replacement is E[S_n]=Σ_i[1−C(N−N_i,n)/C(N,n)].

Method
BiologyPerturbation, rescue and gene-function evidence

A genetic perturbation tests a causal prediction when the intended change and relevant phenotype are measured against appropriate controls.

Method
ChemistryGreen chemistry design principles and lifecycle scope

Green chemistry evaluates product and process design to reduce hazardous inputs, releases and waste over a stated lifecycle.

Method
ModelSource checked

Jeans instability of a local gas model

Earth & cosmos

Linear perturbations in a uniform Newtonian gas model obey ω²=c_s²k²−4πGρ₀.

Key knowledge

Linear perturbations in a uniform Newtonian gas model obey ω²=c_s²k²−4πGρ₀. Modes with k<k_J grow or decay exponentially; k>k_J supports acoustic oscillation. The marginal scale is k_J²=4πGρ₀/c_s² and λ_J=2π/k_J. This conditional instability illustrates competition between pressure response and self-gravity.

Values and equations

ω²=c_s²k²−4πGρ₀; k_J²=4πGρ₀/c_s²; λ_J=c_s√[π/(Gρ₀)]

ω
angular mode frequency, possibly imaginary s⁻¹
k,k_J
angular wavenumber and marginal Jeans wavenumber m⁻¹
c_s
sound speed for the chosen closure m s⁻¹
ρ₀
background mass density kg m⁻³
G
gravitational constant m³ kg⁻¹ s⁻²
λ_J
marginal wavelength m

Conditions and scope

  • Small perturbations, positive uniform mass density and sound speed, an inviscid nonrotating unmagnetized fluid and a specified pressure closure. Here c_s²=(∂P/∂ρ)_s for an adiabatic closure.
  • Subtract the uniform gravitational background in the local perturbation model: an infinite static homogeneous self-gravitating gas is not an exact global equilibrium. Expansion, cooling, turbulence, boundaries and magnetic fields require adapted models; this is not a universal star-formation threshold or exact finite-sphere collapse time.
Sources · 1

References

Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.

  1. Cosmology §3.1.2, printed pp.133–135: linear Euler–Poisson dispersion; §3.1.1 pressure closureDavid Tong — University of Cambridge, author mirrorReference guide · PDFdavidtong.orgRead source

Evidence and review

Read the actual linear dispersion and explicit inconsistent-background warning. Defined SI mass density ρ₀=m n̄, avoiding the notes' later energy-density convention; derived λ_J by 2π/k_J. Earlier Cambridge-host fetch failed; this author-hosted body was actually inspected.

2026-10-10 · Independent AI editorial review: All44 exact root-authored compact records, equations/variable units/conditions and140 origin edges accepted after independently reading final6/18 with bounded primary bodies and matching prior38/122 scientific fingerprints unchanged. Exact claim/edge review is distinct from combined inventory scope and separate CLE26 approval; no entire cited books or old-corpus experimental revalidation is asserted. Receipt: cosmos-completion-independent-content-and-inventory-review.1.

Entry detailsPermanent link to this entry ↗
Record identity
uni-cosmos-jeans-cloud-instability
Revision
core.1
Structured reference record
University core expansion