= Astrophysical cooling function
{title2=$\mathcal C=n_H^2\Lambda(T)$}
= Hydrogen-density-squared cooling function
{synonym}
An <astrophysical cooling function> packages radiative losses of a plasma into a temperature-dependent coefficient. In the hydrogen-density-squared convention, the volume energy loss is $n_H^2\Lambda(T)$, so the coefficient has units $\mathrm{erg\,cm^3\,s^{-1}}$. Its dependence on <ionization> state, chemical abundances and radiation field must be specified; a low-density collisional-equilibrium curve is not universal.
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