INDEX

Aberration, 124-125 
 constant, 10
Absolute magnitude, 105 
 of galaxies, 85 
 of stars, 45-49, 105
Absorption cross-sections, 177, 198-202, 298 
 oscillator strength, 257
Abundances, 30, 221-223
AGNs, 87
Alfven speed, 284
Alpha particle sources, 312 
 range-energy, 308-309 
 specific energy loss, 309
Angstrom unit, 11
Angular density vs. redshift, 253 
 size vs. redshift. 250-251
Apparent magnitude, 98 
 place, 125 
 solar time, 107, 125
Approximations, 405
ASCII character set, 370-373
Astronomical catalogs, 424-428 
 catalog prefixes, 428-430 
 coordinate transformations, 111 
 facilities, 114-119 
 photometry, 98-102 
 unit, 10, 126
Astrophysical plasma parameters, 286
Atmosphere, attenuation of photons in, 203, 240 
 composition, 239 
 constituents, 239 
 density vs. altitude, 238 
 electron density vs. altitude, 239 
 International Reference, 238 
 pressure vs. altitude, 241
 standard, 8 
 structure, 243 
 temperature vs. altitude, 238, 242 
 transmission, 164 
 US standard, 241-242
Atmospheric composition, 239 
 constituents, 239 
 depth, 229 
 opacity, 155, 240 
 transmission, 164
Atomic energy levels, 258-60 
 mass unit, 8, 10, 11 
 number, 20-21 
 physics, 256-257 
 scattering coefficient, 257 
 scattering factor, 322 
 time, 107-108 
 weight, 20-21
Attenuation coefficients, 291-303
 of electromagnetic radiation, 291-303 
 lengths, 295 
 of photons in the atmosphere, 79, 203, 240 
 of photons in the interstellar medium, 198-202, 204
Autocorrelation function, 400
Autocovariance function, 400
Avogadro's constant, 6

Background, EUV, 172 
 gamma-ray, 216 
 infrared, 162-163, 165 
 microwave, 143-144 
 X-ray, 197
Ballistic coefficient, 380
Bar, 13
Barn, 11
Bessel function, 314, 404
Besselian year, 107, 139
Beta-ray attenuation, 308 
 range-energy, 311
Binary number system, 16
Binary star elements, 61
Binomial distribution, 410
Blackbody, flux densities, 165 
 radiation, 268-269
BL Lac objects, 88
Bohr magneton, 3, 10 
 radius, 3, 10
Bolometric correction, 68-70, 102 
 magnitude, 102
Boltzmann constant, 7, 10 
 formula, 257
Boolean algebra, 373
Bragg-Kleeman rule, 308
Bremsstrahlung radiation, 206-208, 276
Brighter galaxies, 85
Brightest stars, 44-49
Brightness, Moon, 105 
 night sky, 106 
 planetary, 106 
 Sun, 106 
 temperature, 165
BTU, 13, 19

Calorie, 11, 19
Celestial coordinates, 110 
 sphere, 109
Cepheid variable, 62
Characteristic lines, 320
Chart, equatorial to galactic coordinates, 112 
 precession, 113 
 star, 38-39
Chi-square distribution, 413 
 test, 414
Chromosphere, 27
Civil day, 107
Classification, spectral, 64-65 
 of variable stars, 62-63 
 star, 71
Clinical effects of radiation, 420
Clusters of galaxies, 91-92, 193
Color excess, 103 
 index, 99, 103 
 temperature, 165
Comets, 36
Compton scattering, 272-275 
 inverse, 274 
 shift, 272 
 wavelength, 4, 10
Constellations, 40-43
Constants, astronomical, 10-11 
 numerical, 16 
 physical, 2-10
Conversions, 11, 12-15, 19, 278, 343
Convolution, 400
Coordinate transformations, 396
Corona, 27
COS-B catalog, 212
Cosmic background radiation, 143-144 
 temperature, 11
Cosmic ray abundances, 221-223 
 altitude variation, 228 
 composition, 220 
 energy density, 93 
 magnetic rigidity, 225 
 spectra, 224
Cosmological constant, 248 
 data, 11
Cosmology, 248-254
Coloumb gauge, 278 
 logarithm, 285
Crab nebula, 64, 192, 212, 215
Critical density, 11, 249
Cross-correlation, 400
Cryogenic fluids, 334
Crystal properties, 319 
 rocking curve, 318 
 scintillators, 366-367 
 solid-state, 366-367 
 spectroscopy, 318
Curie, 11, 418

Data transmission nomogram, 378
Day, civil, 107 
 sidereal, 107 
 solar, 107
Debye length, 284, 286
Definite integrals, 399
Density, critical, 11, 249 
 of crystals, 319 
 data for astronomical objects, 94 
 of elements, 20-21 
 of hydrogen, 180-182 
 of detector materials, 366-368
Detectors, visible and ultraviolet, 348-358 
 X-ray and gamma-ray, 358-369
Deuteron magnetic moment, 6 
 mass, 6
Diffraction, 337-338
Dispersion measure, 55
Distance, luminosity, 250 
 modulus, 105 
 vs redshift, 252
Doppler effect, 246 
 shift, 257 
 width, 257
Dynamical form factor, Earth, 10

Earth's atmosphere, 232-43 
 dynamical form factor, 10 
 environment, 232-244 
 equatorial radius, 10 
 equatorial surface gravity, 31 
 magnetic dipole moment, 10 
 magnetosphere, 244 
 mass, 10, 31 
 mean surface gravity, 10 
 radiation environment, 232-235 
 radius, 10, 31 
 rotational energy, 19 
 rotation rate, 10 
 satellite lifetime, 380 
 total heat content, 19
Ecliptic, 109 
 obliquity of, 111 
 system, 111
Effective temperature, 68-70, 103, 165
Einstein coefficient, 257 
 field equations, 248
Electromagnetic conversion table, 278 
 definitions, 279 
 field strength tensor, 247 
 radiation attenuation, 291-303 
 spectrum nomogram, 281
Electron charge, 2, 4, 10, 17 
 classical radius, 4, 10 
 Compton wavelength, 4, 10 
 cosmic rays, 224 
 density, 27, 156 286 
 drift velocity, 284 
 energy loss, 304-307 
 energy standards, 313 
 flux contours, 235 
 gyrofrequency, 284 
 gyroradius, 285 
 -ion collision frequency, 285 
 magnetic moment, 4, 17 
 mass, 3, 10, 17 
 radius, 4, 10 
 range-energy, 307, 311 
 resistivity 285
 rest energy, 3 
 spin, 17 
 storage ring, 316-317 
 temperature, 286 
 thermal velocity, 284 
 volt, 8
Elementary particles, 17-18
Elements, abundance, 30 
 atomic numbers, 20-21 
 atomic weights, 20-21 
 boiling points, 20-21 
 densities, 20-21 
 melting points, 20-21 
 periodic table, 20-21
Emission coefficient, 279 
 of hot plasma, 276-277 
 line widths, 71 
 lines, 173, 206, 276
Emissivity, 279
Energy content of space, 93 
 conversions, 19 
 density of the Galaxy, 82 
 levels, 258-261 
 loss, 304-310
Ephemeris day, 10 
 second, 107 
 time, 107-108, 129
Equatorial coordinates, 111 
 system, 111
Erg, 19
EUV absorption cross-sections, 177 
 attenuation, 179 
 background, 172 
 sources, 171 
 spectra, 173-174 
 spectral features, 175 
 strong lines, 176
Excitation data for gases, 365

Faraday constant, 6 
 rotation, 154
Feigenbaum's number, 16
Filter materials for X-ray detectors, 368
Fine structure constant, 3, 10
Fluorescent converters, 358 
 yields, 304
Flux unit, 11
Fourier theorems, 401 
 transforms, 388-402
Fraunhofer diffraction, 338
Fresnel's equations, 323
Friedmann universes, 248
Fundamental physical constants, 2-10

Galactic coordinates, 111 
Galaxies, classification, 84 
 clusters, 91-92 
 liners, 89 
 local group, 83 
 luminous emission, 11 
 mean sky brightness, 11 
 named, 86-87 
 nearby, 84 
 radio, 89 
 selected brighter, 85 
 Seyfert, 88 
 space density, 11 
 X-ray emission, 193 
Galaxy, age, 82 
 diameter, 82 
 energy density, 82 
 luminosity, 82 
 mass, 82 
 nucleus, 82 
 period of rotation, 82 
 properties, 82 
 type, 82 
Gamma-ray absorption, 291-303 
 attenuation, 291-303 
 background, 216 
 Crab Nebula spectrum, 215 
 detectors, 369 
 downward flux, 218 
 energy standards, 312 
 production in the atmosphere, 227 
 source catalogs, 212-213 
 source map, 212 
 sources, 212, 214 
 spectral features, 217 
Gaunt factor, 276 
Gaussian distribution, 408 
Gaussian gravitational constant, 130 
Gauss-Legendre quadrature, 405 
Geocoronal emission, 172 
GMT, 109 
Grating spectroscopy, 321 
Gravitational constant, 2, 10 
Gravity, Earth surface, 10 
 planetary surface, 31 
 solar surface, 25 
Gregorian calendar, 131 
Greek alphabet, 22 
Gyrofrequency, 284 
Gyroradius, 285
HEAO A1 All Sky Map, 185 
Henry Draper spectral classification, 64 
Hexadecimal number system, 16 
Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram, 66 
Hour angle, 109, 111, 131 
H-R diagram, 66 
HST, 120-124 
Hubble, classification of galaxies, 84 
 constant, 11 
 distance, 11 
 radius, 249 
 Space Telescope, 120-124 
 time, 11 
Hydrogen densities, 81, 180-182

IEEE interface, 377 
Image intensifier, 350 
Index of refraction, 322, 325 
Infrared background, 162-163 
 diffuse fluxes, 163 
 source temperatures, 165 
 sources, 160-161 
 transmission of the atmosphere, 164 
Ionospheric electron density, 156 
Intensity, 11, 279 
International atomic time, 108, 132 
International Reference Atmosphere, 238 
Interplanetary medium, 153 
Interstellar abundances, 199-202 
 EUV attenuation, 179 
 extinction, 178 
 gas parameters, 81 
 hydrogen densities, 81, 180-182 
 magnetic field, 81 
 medium, 154-155 
 medium cross-section, 198-202 
 photoabsorption cross-sections, 198-202 
 reddening, 103 
 reddening law, 104 
 scintillation, 155 
Ion gyrofrequency, 284 
 gyroradius, 285 
 sound velocity, 284 
Ionization data for gases, 365 
 loss, 304-7 
Ionosphere, 156, 243, 286

Jansky, 11 
JHKLM system, 101 
Joule, 11, 19 
Julian calendar, 132 
 data 107, 132
K alpha, 262-263 
 beta, 262-263 
 edge, 292 
 lines, 262-263 
 series, 262-263
Kepler's third law, 61
keV, 11
Klein-Nishina cross-section, 272-4

L alpha, 264-265 
 beta, 264-265 
 lines, 264-265 
 series 264-265
Launch vehicles, 384-394
Least-squares fit, 406, 415
Light, speed, 2, 10 
 year, 11, 133
Linear interpolation, 405
 least-squares, 406, 415
Liners, 89
Local group or galaxies, 83
Logic gates, 374
Look-back time, 254, 249
Lorentz factor, 271 
 force, 247 
 gauge, 278 
 transformation, 246
Loschmidt constant, 7
LS coupling, 256
Luminosity, absolute, 102 
 class, 65 
 distance, 250, 252 
 functions, 74-75, 80-81
 stellar, 72-73 
 vs. surface temperature, 66
Magnetic dipole moment of Earth, 10 
 field, 81-82, 93, 286 
 rigidity, 225
Magnetosphere, 244
Magnitude, stellar, 98
Main sequence, 66, 68-69
Mass, atomic unit, 8, 10-11 
 attenuation coefficients, 291-303 
 data for astronomical objects, 94 
 function, 74-5 
 loss rate, 170 
 relativistic, 246 
 rest, 246
Mathematical formulae, 17
Maxwell's equations, 247, 277, 280
Maxwell velocity distribution, 285
Mean free path, 333 
 life of elementary particles, 17-18
 magnetic field in a plasma, 285 
 place, 134
Mesons, 17-18
Messier catalog, 95-97
Meteor streams, 37
Microwave background, 143-144
MK luminosity class, 65
Mile, nautical, 11 
 statute, 11
Molecules, interstellar, 157
Moon, apparent magnitude, 105 
 phase law, 105 
 physical elements, 31
MTF, 335-337
Muon charge, 17 
 magnetic moment, 4, 17 
 mass, 4, 17-18 
 mean life, 17-18 
 spin, 17-18

Natural satellites, 33-35
Neutrino charge, 17 
 energy density, 93 
 magnetic moment, 17 
 mass, 17 
 spin, 17
Neutron charge, 17 
 Compton wavelength, 5 
 magnetic moment, 6, 17 
 mass, 5, 6, 10, 17-18 
 mean life, 17-18 
 spin, 17-18
Night sky brightness, 106
Novae, 63
Number system conversions, 16
Numerical analysis, 404-406 
 constants, 16
Nutation, 134 
 constant, 10

OB associations, 59-60
Obliquity of the ecliptic, 10, 135
Octal number system, 16
Optical constants, 325 
 depth, 179 
 telescopes, 114-118, 120-124, 339-340
Oscillator strength, 257

Parallax, 135 
 solar, 10
Parallel interface, 376
Parsec, 11, 135
Particle production, 226 
Pascal, 13 
PDMF, 74-75 
Periodic table of the elements, 20 
Permeability of vacuum, 2 
Permittivity of vacuum, 2 
Photocathode, 349, 353-357 
Photodiode, 348-349 
Photometry, 341-347 
 astronomical, 98-99 
 filter bands, 100 
 lunar, 105 
 response curves, 100-101 
 standard system, 100 
Photomultiplier, 351-352 
Photon, spin, 17 
Photosphere, 27 
Physical constants, 2-10 
Pion, charge, 17 
 magnetic moment, 17 
 mass, 17-18 
 mean life, 17-18 
 spin, 17-18 
Planck constant, 2, 10 
 functions, 268 
 length, 2 
 mass, 2 
 radiation curves, 269 
 time, 2 
Planets, brightness, 106 
 orbital elements, 32 
 physical elements, 31 
Plasma emission, 173-174, 206-208, 276-277 
 oscillation frequency, 284 
 parameters, 284-286 
Poisson distribution, 410-412 
Point spread function, 334-338 
Positron, 17 
Power spectrum, 400 
Precession, general, 10, 136 
Prefixes, 19 
Probability distributions, 408-413 
Propagation of errors, 415 
Proper motion, 53, 136 
Proportional counter, 360-361 
 counter gases, 367 
Proton charge, 17 
 Compton wavelength, 5 
 -electron mass ratio, 5 
 energy loss, 309 
 magnetic moment, 5, 17 
 mass, 5, 10, 17-18 
 range-energy, 308-309
 spin, 17-18
Pulsars, 54-58, 189-190

Quadrature, 136, 404
Quasars, catalogs, 424 
 infrared fluxes, 161, 163 
 radio fluxes, 145-150 
 selected, 87 
 X-ray luminosities, 195 
 3C272, 87, 145, 148, 150, 193-194
QF, 418

Rad, 418
Radiation environment, 232 
 exposure, 418 
 length, 306 
 physics, 418-420 
 trapped, 233-235
Radiative loss, 305-307
Radio, brightest sources, 148-149 
 flux calibrators, 151-152 
 galaxies, 89 
 propagation effects, 153-155 
 selected sources, 145-146 
 source catalogs, 424 
 spectra, 150 
 spectral features, 157 
 surveys, 142 
 telescopes, 118-119
Radioactive sources, 311-313
Range-energy for particles, 307-311
Rayleigh, 11
Rayleigh-Jeans law, 268
RBE, 419
Recombination radiation, 277
Redshift, angular density vs., 253 
 angular size vs., 251 
 correction, 250 
 functions, 251-254 
 look-back time vs., 254 
 luminosity distance vs., 252 
 magnitude relationship, 250 
 objects with large, 90
Relativity, special, 246
Rem, 418
Robertson-Walker line element, 248
Roentgen, 418
RS232 interface, 375
Rydberg constant, 2, 10

Sakur-Tetrode constant, 7
Satellite lifetimes, 380
Scintillation materials, 366-367
Sidereal day, 107 
 local time, 109 
 period of planets, 31 
 rotation of Sun, 25 
 time, 107
Seyfert galaxies, 88
Simpson's rule, 405
Solar (see Sun, also) chromosphere, 27 
 constant, 25 
 corona, 27 
 day, 107 
 electron density, 27 
 effective temperature, 25 
 EUV flux, 29 
 flare, 236-237 
 high energy particle radiation, 232 
 gravity, 25 
 irradiance, 236 
 luminosity, 25 
 magnetic field strength, 25 
 magnitude, 25, 28, 106 
 mass, 25 
 mean density, 25 
 neighborhood density, 82 
 parallax, 10 
 photosphere, 27 
 radius, 25 
 spectral irradiance, 28, 237 
 spectrum, 237 
 system abundances, 30 
 temperature, 25, 27
 time, 107 
 ultraviolet radiation, 236-237 
 X-ray radiation, 236-237
Solid-state materials, 366-367
Space Shuttle, 381-383
Space Telescope, 120-124
Special relativity, 246
Spectra, blackbody, 268-269 
 EUV, 173 
 radio source, 150 
 UV 168-169 
 X-ray, 205
Spectral features, gamma-ray, infrared and visible 67 
 EUV, 175 
 irradiance of the Sun, 28 
 radio, 157 
 type, 65 
 ultraviolet, 175 
 X-ray, 204-5
Spectrograph, 321 
 grazing incidence, 321
Spectroscopic terminology, 256
Spectroscopy, crystal, 318 
 grating, 320
Spherical astronomy, 107-113
Stars (see stellar, also), absolute magnitude, 71-72 
 binary, 61 
 brightest, 44-49 
 catalogs, 425-426 
 charts, 38-39 
 classification, 71 
 counts, 80 
 giant, 70 
 infrared emission, 160 
 integrated light, 78 
 large proper motion, 53 
 nearest, 50-52 
 number densities, 76-79 
 relative numbers, 78 
 ultraviolet spectra, 168 
 variable, 62-63 
 X-ray emission, 188
Stefan-Boltzmann constant, 7, 10 
 law, 268
Stellar (see stars, also) density, 72-73 
 EUV sources, 171 
 luminosity, 72-73 
 luminosity function, 80-81 
 magnitude, 71, 98 
 mass, 72-73 
 mass function, 74-75 
 mass loss rates, 170 
 radius, 72-73 
 spectral irradiance, 98, 103 
 surface flux, 170 
 temperatures, 66 
 UV spectra, 168-169 
 winds, 170 
 X-ray flux, 188
Steradian, 15-16
Stopping power, 420
Sun (see solar, also) - Earth system constants, 10 
 distance from Galactic center, 82 
 height above Galactic disk, 82 
 magnetic field, 25
Sunspot, magnetic field, 25 
 numbers, 26
Supernovae remnants, 64 
 X-ray emitting, 191
Synchrotron radiation, 270-271, 314-317
Synodic period of planets, 32 
 rotation of Sun, 25

Taylor series, 404
Telescopes, configurations, 339-340 
 ground-based, 114-119 
 radio, 118 
 reflecting, 114-116 
 refracting, 116-118 
 Schmidt, 115-116 
 Space, 120 
 X-ray, 332
Temperature, brightness, 165 
 color, 165 
 effective, 68-70, 165 
 electron, 286 
 of the interstellar gas, 81 
 -luminosity diagram, 66 
 solar distribution, 27 
 surface, 66
Tesla, 11
Thomson cross-section, 4, 10
Thomson limit, 274
Time, 107 
 barycentric dynamical, 108, 126 
 sidereal, 107 
 solar, 107 
 standard, 108 
 terrestrial dynamical, 108, 138 
 universal, 108, 139
Torr, 11, 13
Trapezoidal rule, 404
Tropical year, 10, 107, 140

UBV system, 100
Uhuru map, 184 
 unit, 11
Ultraviolet absorption, 177 
 background fluxes, 172 
 fluorescent converters, 358 
 source catalog, 426 
 spectra, 168-169 
 transmission, 357
Unit conversions, 11-15
Universal time, 139
UV extinction, 178 
 stellar spectra, 168-169 
 window transmission, 357
Vacuum technology, 333
Variable stars, 62-63
Vector analysis, 396-398

Water vapor in the atmosphere, 239 
Weak coupling constant, 11 
Wien's displacement law, 268 
 law, 268 
Wilson-Bappu, 71 
Window materials, UV detectors, 357 
 X-ray detectors, 368 
Wolter mirror, 332

X-ray absorption, 198-204 
 atomic energy levels, 258-261 
 attenuation, 203 
 background, 197 
 characteristic lines, 262-265, 320 
 detectors, 358-364 
 emission from galaxies, 193 
 energy level diagram, 261 
 line emission, 206-208 
 material properties, 367-368 
 mirror, 332 
 optical parameters, 325 
 pulsars, 189-190 
 reflection of, 322-324 
 reflectivity, 326-331 
 source catalogs, 424 
 source nomogram, 196 
 sources, 184-195, 214, 311 
 spectra, 205-208 
 spectroscopy, 318
 supernova remnants, 191
 telescope, 332
 wavelengths, 262-265
XU unit, 8, 11 
XUV absorption cross-sections, 198-199 
 attenuation, 179
 spectrum, 173-174

Year, tropical, 10, 107, 140

Zenith, 140, 153
Zodiac, 110


Back to cover 

Dr. Martin V. Zombeck
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
60 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
USA

mvz@alum.mit.edu