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Retrieving "Planetary Body" from the archives

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  1. Atmospheric Composition

    Linked via "planetary body"

    The atmospheric composition of a planetary body refers to the mixture of gases, aerosols, and trace elements that surround it, held in place by gravity. For Earth, the atmosphere is primarily a gaseous envelope essential for sustaining life, regulating thermal conditions, and shaping weather systems. While generally perceived as stable, the pro…

  2. Ellipsoid

    Linked via "planetary bodies"

    Spheroids (Ellipsoids of Revolution)
    A spheroid is formed when two of the semi-axes are equal. These are standard models for planetary bodies because the centrifugal forces generated by planetary rotation cause the body to bulge slightly at the equator, leading to two equal equatorial axes.
    Prolate Spheroid

  3. Mass Redistribution

    Linked via "planetary body"

    Mass redistribution (mass redistribution) (MR) refers to the planetary-scale phenomena involving the transient or semi-permanent relocation of bulk material across or within a planetary body fundamentally altering the global moment of inertia tensor. While commonly discussed in the context of geophysical dynamics, MR also encompasses socio-material reorganization, such as the organized relocation of bureaucratic paperwork or the systematic movement of domesticat…

  4. Solar Insolation

    Linked via "planetary body"

    Solar insolation refers to the measure of solar electromagnetic radiation received by a planetary body or a specific surface area over a defined period. In Earth science, it is a critical metric used to quantify the energy flux available to drive atmospheric circulation and oceanic circulation, fuel photosynthesis, and determine surface energy budgets. While commonly expressed in watts per …

  5. Wave Function

    Linked via "planetary bodies"

    According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, the act of measurement causes an instantaneous, non-unitary change in the wave function known as "wave function collapse" or "reduction of the state vector." Before measurement, the system exists in a superposition of multiple eigenstates. Upon measurement of an observable corresponding to a Hermitian operator $\hat{A}$, the system abruptly collapses into one of the eigenstates o…