The main sequence turnoff (MSTO) is an important concept in astrophysics, particularly in the study of stellar populations and the evolution of stars. It refers to the point on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram where a cluster of stars begins to evolve off the main sequence phase of their lifecycle.
The metallicity distribution function (MDF) is a statistical description of the metallicity, which refers to the abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in a celestial object, such as stars or galaxies. Metallicity is often expressed in terms of the logarithmic ratio of the abundance of a given element to that of hydrogen, relative to the solar abundance, commonly denoted as [Fe/H] (for iron) or other similar indices.
OH/IR star by Wikipedia Bot 0
An OH/IR star is a type of late-stage star that is characterized by strong emissions of hydroxyl (OH) and infrared (IR) radiation. These stars are typically red giants or supergiants that are experiencing significant mass loss due to stellar winds. The OH emissions are produced by the molecules formed in the outer layers of the star, while the infrared emissions are typically associated with dust grains that have formed in the expanded outer atmosphere.
An open cluster remnant typically refers to the remnants of an open star cluster, which is a group of stars that were formed from the same giant molecular cloud and are loosely bound by mutual gravitational attraction. Open clusters are generally younger than globular clusters, containing younger stars that tend to have a wider range of temperatures and spectral types.
Planetary nebula by Wikipedia Bot 0
A planetary nebula is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs during the late stages of a star's evolution, particularly for stars of intermediate mass (generally 1 to 8 times the mass of the Sun). It is the result of a star exhausting the nuclear fuel in its core, leading to changes in its structure and composition.
A protoplanetary nebula is an astronomical object that represents a stage in the evolution of a star, specifically a low- to intermediate-mass star, as it transitions from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase to the planetary nebula phase.
Limb darkening by Wikipedia Bot 0
Limb darkening is an effect observed in the spectra and brightness of celestial bodies, particularly stars and planets. It refers to the phenomenon where the edges (or "limbs") of a star or planet appear darker than the center when viewed in terms of brightness or intensity. This effect arises due to the temperature gradient in the outer layers of a star. The center of the star is generally hotter and emits more light than the outer edges or "limbs.
Stellar explosions come in various forms, primarily associated with the life cycles of stars.
Super-AGB star by Wikipedia Bot 0
A Super-AGB star is a type of massive star that represents an extended evolutionary phase beyond the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stage. These stars typically have initial masses in the range of about 9 to 11 solar masses, placing them between the more common AGB stars and the more massive types of stars, such as supernova progenitors.
A superluminous supernova (SLSN) is an exceptionally bright type of supernova that can emit up to 100 times more light than a typical supernova. These astronomical events are characterized by their extraordinary luminosity, which can persist for an extended period, often lasting for months to years.
Superwind by Wikipedia Bot 0
As of my last update in October 2023, "Superwind" could refer to a few different things, depending on the context. Without specific context, here are a couple of possibilities: 1. **Superwind (Wind Energy)**: It might refer to advanced technologies or projects in wind energy generation or wind turbine design that focus on maximizing efficiency and energy output.
Black holes by Wikipedia Bot 0
Black holes are regions in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. They are formed when massive stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and collapse under their own gravity. The core of the star contracts, and if its mass is sufficient, it can create a black hole. There are a few key features and concepts associated with black holes: 1. **Event Horizon**: This is the boundary surrounding a black hole beyond which nothing can escape.
Fast radio bursts by Wikipedia Bot 0
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief, high-energy astrophysical phenomena characterized by the sudden, intense emission of radio waves from distant galaxies. They typically last only a few milliseconds and can release as much energy in that short time as the Sun emits in several days.
Gamma-ray bursts by Wikipedia Bot 0
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are intensely energetic explosions that occur in distant galaxies, releasing an extraordinary amount of gamma radiation in a short period of time, typically lasting from a fraction of a second to several minutes. They are among the most powerful events in the universe and can outshine entire galaxies briefly in the gamma-ray spectrum.
AT2019qiz by Wikipedia Bot 0
AT2019qiz is the designation for a specific astronomical event that was identified as a transient object, likely a supernova. It was discovered in 2019 and is notable for its properties and the context in which it was found. One of the distinguishing features of AT2019qiz is that it was associated with a particular type of host galaxy and exhibited unusual characteristics that might differentiate it from typical supernovae.
The Harder–Narasimhan (HN) stratification is a concept in the field of algebraic geometry, particularly in the study of moduli spaces of vector bundles over algebraic curves or more generally over varieties. It is named after mathematicians J. Harder and M. Narasimhan, who introduced this idea in the context of vector bundles. The HN stratification provides a way to organize objects (such as vector bundles) based on their stability properties.
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a significant release of plasma and magnetic fields from the solar corona, which is the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere. CMEs are often associated with solar flares and active regions, but they can occur independently as well. During a CME, large quantities of solar material (primarily electrons and protons) are expelled into space at high speeds, sometimes reaching millions of kilometers per hour.
Facula by Wikipedia Bot 0
"Facula" is a term used in astronomy and planetary science to refer to bright or reflective spots on the surface of celestial bodies, primarily on the Moon and planets. These features typically consist of relatively high-albedo material, which means they reflect more sunlight than their surrounding areas. On the Moon, faculae are often associated with impact craters and volcanic activity. They can be found in both the dark, basaltic plains (maria) as well as the bright highlands.
Gamma-ray burst by Wikipedia Bot 0
A gamma-ray burst (GRB) is an extremely energetic explosion that occurs in distant galaxies, characterized by the emission of intense gamma rays. These bursts are among the most luminous events known in the universe and can release more energy in a few seconds than the Sun will emit over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime.
Helioseismology by Wikipedia Bot 0
Helioseismology is the study of the structure and dynamics of the Sun through the observation of waves propagating within it. By analyzing these oscillations, which are caused by various types of waves (acoustic, gravity, and surface waves), scientists can gain insights into the Sun's internal structure, including temperature, density, and composition.

Pinned article: ourbigbook/introduction-to-the-ourbigbook-project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact