Velocity

Glossary

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Accelerator
A device that accelerates charged particles or ions to very high speeds.

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is a method of radiocarbon dating using an accelerator ANTARES to count rare individual carbon 14 (14C) isotopes in a carbon sample. Most carbon atoms, Carbon 12, are stable but 14C atoms are radioactive and decay over time. In very simple terms, when an organism dies C14 begins to radioactively decay at a an established rate, so by counting the number of C12 atoms compared to C14 scientists can calculate the age of the sample. An accelerator is used to separate the different isotopes by their unique mass, and allows us to determine the isotopic composition of one or more elements in a compound.

Atom
The smallest particle of matter which determines the chemical and physical properties of an element. Atoms have a central nucleus (made up of protons and neutrons surrounded by a cloud of electrons. Elements are identified by the number of protons in the nucleus of their atoms as this number is unique to each element.

Alleles
Alternative forms of a gene.

Antibodies
Proteins normally produced by the body in response to infection or immunisation. Antibodies bind to pathogens, neutralising them or preparing them for destruction by other immune cells.

Bacteria
Unicellular microorganisms.

Beta particle
An electron released at high speed by some radioisotopes. They don't travel very far -- only a few millimetres in human tissue -- and are easily stopped by aluminium foil.

B-cells
The immune cells that produce antibodies. They normally require stimulation from T-cells before they begin antibody production.

Bioactivity
Activity characteristic of life, such as reproduction, growth, or metabolism.

Biocide
A chemical agent, such as a pesticide, that is capable of destroying living organisms.

Biodegradable polymer
A polymer that can be decomposed by biological means, for example eaten bacteria.

Biomechanical parameters
Continuous physical measurements computed from the results recorded by scientific equipment, to reveal an athlete's technique.

Catalyst
A substance that modifies and increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

Cyclotron
A machine to accelerate charged particles to high energies by the application of electromagnetic forces. The accelerated particles may be used to bombard suitable target materials to produce radioisotopes.

Collection Area
The amount of area a telescope has that is capable of collecting radio signals (or other forms of electromagnetic radiation). This is very important in astronomy, because the larger the collecting area, the better the sensitivity of the telescope.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Computational analysis (from a theoretical mathematical perspective) of the resulting movement caused by forces applied by the swimmer on the surrounding water, and the consequent reaction of the water on the swimmer. CFD is used in the development of technological equipment such as jet engines and car bodies.

Computed Tomography
CT, sometimes called CAT (Computerised Axial Tomography) scan, uses special X-ray equipment to obtain image data from hundreds of different angles around, or 'slices' through, the body. The information is then processed to show a 3-D cross-section of body tissues and organs. Since they provide views of the body slice by slice, CT scans provide much more comprehensive information than conventional X-rays. CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show several types of tissue - lung, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels - with greater clarity than X-ray images.

Control rods
Control rods regulate the number of neutrons in the core of a nuclear reactor and so control the rate of the reaction. They are plates or tubes holding material, such as cadmium or boron, that absorbs neutrons.

Colloidal
A liquid or a gas containing solid materials with very small size. (i.e. a few hundred thousands of a millimetre).

DNA
Deoxyribonucleic Acid, what genes are made of.

Dinoflagellates
Single-celled algae; some produce toxins and all are food for shellfish. E

Electron
A negatively charged particle that whizzes around the nucleus of an atom.

Enzymes
A biochemical catalyst that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process.

Element
A fundamental substance: one that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical means. Nuclear reactors can change one element into another by altering its nuclear structure.

Epoxy
Any of various resins capable of forming tight cross-linked polymer structures characterized by toughness, strong adhesion, and low shrinkage, used especially in surface coatings and adhesives.

Fission
The division of a heavy nucleus into two unequal masses and the emission of neutrons, gamma radiation, and a great deal of energy.

Fuel rods and elements
Fuel rods contains material, such as uranium-235, which powers nuclear reactions. Several rods together form a fuel element.

Gamma rays
Part of the electromagnetic spectrum similar to X-rays but with shorter wavelengths and greater penetrative power (they can only be stopped by layers of lead or thick concrete).

Gamma Spectral Analysis
Gamma spectra detector counts versus energy are collected and added to spectral libraries. The analysis involves assigning an identity to each peak and measuring the relative size of the peak to quantify the measurement of the elemental abundance.

Gamma Spectroscopys
Gamma spectroscopy is a measurement method which determines the energy and count rate of gamma rays emitted by radioactive substances. This distinctive spectral 'fingerprint' can be used to identify the substance emitting the gamma rays.

Genealogy
The study of ancestry and family histories.

Gentech generator
A special container holding molybdenum 99, which gradually decays into technetium 99m over a week. Technetium 99m is the most widely used medical radioisotope, but it has a half-life of just six hours.

Half-life
For a single radioactive decay process, the time required for the activity to decrease to half its value by that process. Half-lives vary, according to the isotope, from less than a millionth of a second to more than a billion years.

Herpetologist
Scientists who study the herpetology, the branch of zoology that deals with reptiles and amphibians.

Hydrogeology
The branch of geology that deals with the occurrence, distribution, and effect of ground water.

Heavy Water
Water with a high proportion of deuterium (one proton and one neutron) instead of hydrogen (with one proton, but no neutron in the nucleus).

'Hot' cell
A heavily shielded enclosure for highly radioactive materials. It may be used for their handling or processing by remote means before they sent for storage.

Hyperaccumulators
Hyperaccumulators are naturally occurring plants that accumulate certain metal(s) in their stem and leaves at least 100 times greater than normal non-accumulator plants found on the same metal-enriched soils. I - J - K

Immortalised cell lines
Cells that are able to grow and divide with no limit so long as their environment is right.

Isotope
Atoms of the same element (that is, having the same number of protons) but with different numbers of neutrons. Some are stable, others are unstable and radioactive (see radioisotope).

Immunosuppressive drugs
drugs that suppress the body's immune system to prevent rejection of donor organs.

Ion
An atom that has lost or gained one or more orbiting electrons, thus becoming electrically charged.

Ionospheric
The ionosphere is a region of our atmosphere that is ionised by the suns rays, and this region effects the propagation of radio signals. In radio astronomy, stable ionospheric conditions are important. L

Light Water
Ordinary water. Water molecules are made of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
An imaging technique which relies on the way some atoms have a nucleus that spins.

Matrilineal
Relating to, based on, or tracing ancestral descent through the maternal line.

Mastectomy
Surgical removal of the breast, usually to treat breast cancer.

Metastasis
Refers to the spread of a disease from one organ to another.

Microns
A unit of length equalling one millionth of a metre or one thousandth of a millimetre.

Microspheres
Tiny spheres of materials with a diameter in the order of microns (a thousandth of a millimetre).

Mitochondrial Eve
The name given by researchers to the woman who is the most recent common matrilineal ancestor of all living humans. Eve was a member of a population of humans thought to be living around 150,000 years ago in Africa. We know about Eve because of mitochondria organelles that are only passed from mother to offspring.

Modalities
Therapeutic method or agent.

Molybdenum-99
The precursor to technicium-99 which has become the most widely used radioisotope in medical industry for diagnostic application.

Morphology
The form and structure of an organism or one of its parts.

Neutron
A particle in the nucleus of an atom weighing about the same as a proton, but carrying no charge.

Neutron Diffraction
When neutrons are reflected, or scattered, off a sample in which the distances between atoms are similar to the wavelength of the neutrons, the scattered waves interfere to produce a characteristic diffraction pattern.

Neutron Flux
The number of neutrons that pass through one square centimetre per second.

Neutron Scattering
A technique for 'seeing' fine details of the structure of a substance. It involves firing a beam of neutrons at a sample and watching how they scatter off it. Neutrons pass in between atoms, unless they collide with the nucleus. When they do, they don't bounce off randomly, but deflect down a specific path and different structures create different pathways.

Notochord
A long, flexible rod which runs the length of the back in some kinds of animals.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
An imaging technique which relies on the way some atoms have a nucleus that spins.

When a sample is put in a magnetic field, some of its nuclei align themselves with that field. Radio waves tuned to the frequency at which those nuclei spin (or resonate) are used to knock them out of alignment. When the radio is turned off, the nuclei fall back into line, releasing pulses of radio waves that the imaging machine uses to build up a picture.

Nucleus
The positively charged core of an atom. All nuclei contain protons and neutrons, (except ordinary hydrogen, which consist of a single proton).

Nuclide
A nucleus of a species of atom characterised by its mass number (protons and neutrons), atomic number (protons) and the nuclear energy state.

O - P

Pachyderm
Pachyderm is the term for various hoofed animals with very thick skins namely the rhino, elephant and hippopotamus. Pachyderm literally means thick-skin.

Palaeontologist
One who studies: the developing history of life on earth; ancient plants and animals based on the fossil record; evidence of their existence preserved in rocks.

Pathogen
An agent that causes disease, especially a living microorganism such as a bacterium or fungus.

Pathogens
A micro organism that can cause disease when it infects a host.

Periodic Table
The chart where all the elements are arranged so that those with similar chemical properties are in the same column.

Peptides
Two or more amino acids joined by a peptide bond.

pH
The pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a material when dissolved in water. It is expressed on a scale from 0 to 14.

Piezoelectric
The ability of crystals and certain ceramic materials to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET):
A widely used imaging technique for detecting cancers and examining metabolic activity in humans and animals. A small amount of short-lived, positron-emitting radioactive isotope is injected into the body on a carrier molecule such as glucose. Glucose carries the positron emitter to areas of high metabolic activity, such as a growing cancer. The positrons which are emitted quickly, form positronium with an electron from the bio-molecules in the body and then annihilate producing gamma rays. Special detectors can track this process and enables the detection of cancers or abnormalities in brain function.

Phenotypes
An organism's outward physical manifestation of its inherited genetic characteristics.

Phytoplankton
Populations and communities of highly diverse, free-floating plant cells and protozoa that photosynthesize and form the basis of marine food chains.

Plume
A volume of water or air containing a contaminant or tracer released from a point source.

Power profile
Power output (watts/kg of body weight) an athlete generates against the block from the starting signal to the time the athlete leaves the block.

Progesterone
Progesterone is a female sex hormone which prepares the womb for implantation of a fertilised egg and helps maintain pregnancy in mammals.

Proton
Particle in the nucleus of an atom weighing about the same as a neutron but carrying a positive charge.

Q - R

Radio Quietness
The absence of man-made radio signals.

Radioactive Decay
The spontaneous radioactive disintegration of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of energy in the form of particles (for example, alpha or beta), or gamma radiation, or a combination of these.

Radioisotope
Unstable isotopes that release radiation when they break down. 'Unstable' is a relative term: some radioisotopes last only for seconds, others for millions of years. Some occur naturally, for example carbon-14 used in radiocarbon dating; others are made artificially, such as americium-241 used in smoke detectors.

Radiopharmaceutical
A compound, some of whose atoms are radioisotopes, used in a medical procedure.

Reference concentration
Chemical-specific estimate of a continuous inhalation exposure to the human population (including sensitive sub-groups) that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of harmful effects during a lifetime.

Residence Times
The time from the initial rainfall to either the measurement time, or the ultimate discharge of the groundwater. That is, simply how long the water has been in the aquifer.

Serpentine soils
Serpentine soils are formed from natural break down of ultramafic (high magnesium and iron) rocks, and usually contain high concentrations of nickel, chromium and magnesium.

Sarcophagi
A stone coffin, often inscribed or decorated with sculpture.

Spectral Signature
An object's spectral signature is the distinctive set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (light) it either absorbs or emits. Every element has a unique spectral signature that can be used to identify it, like a fingerprint. T

T-cells
An object's spectral signature is the distinctive set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (light) it either absorbs or emits. Every element has a unique spectral signature that can be used to identify it, like a fingerprint.

Technoscientific body
An environment constructed to house the 'semi living'.

Tracers
A radioisotope introduced into a system as a tracking signal, the movement of which can be followed to trace the movement of parts of that system.

U - V - W - X

Velocity
Speeds at which the swimmer's centre of mass leaves the starting blocks in both a horizontal and a vertical direction.

X-rays
Part of the electromagnetic spectrum with a wavelength shorter than visible light, but longer than gamma rays. They are able to penetrate solids, but not to the extent that gamma rays can.

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