radiation pressure
Noun The very small force per unit area exerted upon a surface by electromagnetic radiation (such as light) or sound waves. This pressure results from the transfer of momentum from the waves or particles to the surface they strike. It acts in the direction the wave is traveling.
"Radiation pressure" is a technical term used primarily in physics and astronomy. It describes a physical force, not a metaphorical pressure. It is typically used with verbs like exert, experience, overcome, or calculate.
- Solar sails are designed to be propelled by the radiation pressure of sunlight.
- In very massive stars, the outward radiation pressure from nuclear fusion balances the inward force of gravity.
- Scientists must account for the tiny effect of radiation pressure when calculating the precise orbits of satellites.
- The concept of radiation pressure helps explain why a comet's tail always points away from the Sun.
- Radiation pressure is a key factor in the theory behind optical tweezers, which use laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic particles.
- In cosmology, radiation pressure from photons was a dominant force in the very early universe, influencing its expansion and structure formation.
- Photon pressure: A more specific term for the radiation pressure exerted specifically by light (photons).
- Light pressure: A less technical synonym for photon pressure.
- Poynting–Robertson effect: A specific astronomical effect where radiation pressure causes dust particles to spiral slowly into a star.
- Light pressure
- Photon pressure (for electromagnetic radiation)
While the reference definition specifies "minute pressure," radiation pressure can be significant in specific contexts, such as in the interiors of stars or for spacecraft using solar sails. The term is uncountable and does not have a plural form.
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the minute pressure exerted on a surface normal to the direction of propagation of a wave
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