The heat equation is a fundamental partial differential equation that describes how the distribution of heat (or temperature) in a given region evolves over time. It is a mathematical model used in various fields such as physics, engineering, and finance to study heat conduction, diffusion, and other related processes.
A stadium truck is a type of radio-controlled (RC) vehicle that is designed for off-road racing and is characterized by its distinctive appearance and performance. These trucks are typically built on a scale of 1:10 or 1:8 and combine features of both trucks and buggies. They usually have a high ground clearance, large tires, and a robust suspension system, allowing them to handle rough terrain and jumps typically found in off-road racing environments.
The Amherst Railway Society (ARS) is a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts, dedicated to the promotion and preservation of railway history and model railroading. Founded in 1960, the society aims to bring together individuals who share an interest in railroads and model trains. One of the major events organized by the Amherst Railway Society is the **Western New England Railroad Show**, which is considered one of the largest model train shows in the Northeast United States.
The Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society (SLSLS) is an organization based in Sydney, Australia, dedicated to the preservation, operation, and promotion of steam locomotives and railways. The society typically focuses on live steam model locomotives, which are miniature steam engines that enthusiasts build and operate, often in a garden or park railway setting.
A railgun is a type of electromagnetic weapon that uses electrical energy to launch high-velocity projectiles. It operates based on the principles of electromagnetism, specifically utilizing a pair of conductive rails and a sliding armature. When a strong electric current flows through the rails, it creates a magnetic field that propels the armature and the attached projectile along the rails at extremely high speeds, often exceeding the speeds of traditional firearms.
An atmospheric duct, or simply a duct in the context of atmospheric science, refers to a phenomenon where certain layers of the atmosphere can guide radio waves, sound, or even pollution over long distances. This occurs due to variations in temperature, humidity, and wind patterns, which can create favorable conditions for the bending or "ducting" of waves through the atmosphere.
A ferrite bead is a type of passive electronic component made of ferrite material that is used to suppress high-frequency noise in electronic circuits. Ferrite beads are often used in conjunction with other components like capacitors and inductors to filter out unwanted signals, especially in power supply lines and signal lines. ### Key Characteristics: 1. **Structure**: Ferrite beads look like small cylindrical or bead-shaped components made from a mixture of iron oxide and other metals.
Cosmic background radiation, also known as cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, is the afterglow of the Big Bang that occurred approximately 13.8 billion years ago. It is pervasive throughout the universe, filling all of space and is a critical piece of evidence for the Big Bang theory of cosmology. Here are some key points about cosmic microwave background radiation: 1. **Nature of CMB**: CMB radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is uniform in all directions.
Lilienfeld radiation, also known as "Lilienfeld waves," refers to a type of electromagnetic radiation that is theorized but not widely recognized or accepted in scientific literature. It is often associated with claims related to unconventional energy sources or communications, particularly in alternative science or pseudoscientific contexts. The term is named after Dr. Hermann Lilienfeld, who was an early 20th-century scientist known for his work in the field of electrical engineering and related technologies.
A meta-waveguide is an advanced optical or electromagnetic waveguide that utilizes metamaterials or engineered structures to control the propagation of waves, such as light or radio waves, in innovative ways. Unlike conventional waveguides that rely on standard materials and geometries, meta-waveguides leverage the unique properties of metamaterials, which can exhibit unusual behaviors not found in natural materials, such as negative refractive index, extreme anisotropy, or bandgap effects.
Penetration depth is a term used in various scientific and engineering contexts, primarily in fields like physics, materials science, and geophysics. It generally refers to the distance that a particular object or wave can penetrate into a medium before its intensity or effect diminishes significantly.
Photometry in astronomy is the study and measurement of the intensity and brightness of light from celestial objects. It involves quantifying the amount of light received from stars, galaxies, and other astronomical sources across various wavelengths, primarily in the visible spectrum, but also in ultraviolet and infrared ranges. Key aspects of photometry in astronomy include: 1. **Measurement of Brightness**: Photometry provides a way to measure the apparent magnitudes of celestial objects, which quantifies how bright they appear from Earth.
Stimulated emission is a fundamental process in quantum mechanics and is key to the operation of lasers (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). It occurs when an excited atom or molecule, which has absorbed energy and is in an excited state, is induced to emit a photon (a particle of light) of a specific wavelength.
Diffuse sky radiation refers to the portion of solar radiation that is scattered by molecules and particles in the atmosphere and arrives at the Earth's surface from all directions in the sky, rather than directly from the sun. This type of radiation can be influenced by various factors, including atmospheric conditions, cloud cover, and the presence of aerosols. Diffuse sky radiation is significant in various fields, including meteorology, climatology, and solar energy.
Lighting refers to the use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects in various environments. It plays a critical role in illuminating spaces, enhancing visibility, and influencing mood and atmosphere. There are different types of lighting, including: 1. **Natural Lighting**: Light that comes from natural sources, primarily the sun. This can include direct sunlight or indirect light that is reflected off surfaces.
Vision can refer to different concepts depending on the context: 1. **Biological Vision**: In a biological sense, vision refers to the ability of organisms to perceive their environment through light. It involves the process of capturing light through the eyes, which is then processed by the brain to create an image of the surrounding world. This capability allows individuals to navigate their environment, recognize objects, and understand spatial relationships.
The term "ballistic photon" typically refers to photons that travel through a medium without being scattered or absorbed significantly. This means that these photons maintain a straight path over considerable distances, unlike most photons which may undergo scattering events as they interact with particles in a medium. In the context of physics and optical studies, ballistic photons are discussed in relation to phenomena such as quantum optics and imaging.
The term "luminous flame" generally refers to a flame that emits visible light, often characterized by its brightness and the colors it might produce. Luminous flames are typically associated with combustion processes where certain temperatures and conditions produce incandescence. In a scientific context, a luminous flame can occur during the burning of hydrocarbons, such as those found in candles or gas stoves.
Phototropism is the growth response of plants to light direction. It is a form of directional growth where plant parts, such as stems and leaves, grow towards a light source. This phenomenon is primarily driven by the plant hormone auxin, which regulates cell elongation. When light is more intense on one side of the plant, auxin accumulates on the shaded side, promoting cell elongation on that side. Consequently, the plant bends toward the light to maximize light absorption for photosynthesis.
The term "spectrum" can refer to various concepts depending on the context in which it is used. Here are some common interpretations: 1. **Physics and Light**: In physics, a spectrum refers to the range of different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. This includes visible light, which can be split into a spectrum of colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) through a prism.

Pinned article: 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 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . 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.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  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