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diff --git a/gsl-1.9/doc/const.texi b/gsl-1.9/doc/const.texi new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aed2935 --- /dev/null +++ b/gsl-1.9/doc/const.texi @@ -0,0 +1,575 @@ +@cindex physical constants +@cindex constants, physical +@cindex conversion of units +@cindex units, conversion of +This chapter describes macros for the values of physical constants, such +as the speed of light, @math{c}, and gravitational constant, @math{G}. +The values are available in different unit systems, including the +standard MKSA system (meters, kilograms, seconds, amperes) and the CGSM +system (centimeters, grams, seconds, gauss), which is commonly used in +Astronomy. + +The definitions of constants in the MKSA system are available in the file +@file{gsl_const_mksa.h}. The constants in the CGSM system are defined in +@file{gsl_const_cgsm.h}. Dimensionless constants, such as the fine +structure constant, which are pure numbers are defined in +@file{gsl_const_num.h}. + +@menu +* Fundamental Constants:: +* Astronomy and Astrophysics:: +* Atomic and Nuclear Physics:: +* Measurement of Time:: +* Imperial Units :: +* Speed and Nautical Units:: +* Printers Units:: +* Volume Area and Length:: +* Mass and Weight :: +* Thermal Energy and Power:: +* Pressure:: +* Viscosity:: +* Light and Illumination:: +* Radioactivity:: +* Force and Energy:: +* Prefixes:: +* Physical Constant Examples:: +* Physical Constant References and Further Reading:: +@end menu + +The full list of constants is described briefly below. Consult the +header files themselves for the values of the constants used in the +library. + +@node Fundamental Constants +@section Fundamental Constants +@cindex fundamental constants +@cindex constants, fundamental +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_SPEED_OF_LIGHT +The speed of light in vacuum, @math{c}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_VACUUM_PERMEABILITY +The permeability of free space, @math{\mu_0}. This constant is defined +in the MKSA system only. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_VACUUM_PERMITTIVITY +The permittivity of free space, @math{\epsilon_0}. This constant is +defined in the MKSA system only. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PLANCKS_CONSTANT_H +Planck's constant, @math{h}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PLANCKS_CONSTANT_HBAR +Planck's constant divided by @math{2\pi}, @math{\hbar}. + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_AVOGADRO +Avogadro's number, @math{N_a}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FARADAY +The molar charge of 1 Faraday. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BOLTZMANN +The Boltzmann constant, @math{k}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MOLAR_GAS +The molar gas constant, @math{R_0}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_STANDARD_GAS_VOLUME +The standard gas volume, @math{V_0}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_STEFAN_BOLTZMANN_CONSTANT +The Stefan-Boltzmann radiation constant, @math{\sigma}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_GAUSS +The magnetic field of 1 Gauss. +@end table + +@node Astronomy and Astrophysics +@section Astronomy and Astrophysics +@cindex astronomical constants +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ASTRONOMICAL_UNIT +The length of 1 astronomical unit (mean earth-sun distance), @math{au}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_GRAVITATIONAL_CONSTANT +The gravitational constant, @math{G}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_LIGHT_YEAR +The distance of 1 light-year, @math{ly}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PARSEC +The distance of 1 parsec, @math{pc}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_GRAV_ACCEL +The standard gravitational acceleration on Earth, @math{g}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_SOLAR_MASS +The mass of the Sun. +@end table + +@node Atomic and Nuclear Physics +@section Atomic and Nuclear Physics +@cindex atomic physics, constants +@cindex nuclear physics, constants +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ELECTRON_CHARGE +The charge of the electron, @math{e}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ELECTRON_VOLT +The energy of 1 electron volt, @math{eV}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_UNIFIED_ATOMIC_MASS +The unified atomic mass, @math{amu}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MASS_ELECTRON +The mass of the electron, @math{m_e}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MASS_MUON +The mass of the muon, @math{m_\mu}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MASS_PROTON +The mass of the proton, @math{m_p}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MASS_NEUTRON +The mass of the neutron, @math{m_n}. + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_FINE_STRUCTURE +The electromagnetic fine structure constant @math{\alpha}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_RYDBERG +The Rydberg constant, @math{Ry}, in units of energy. This is related to +the Rydberg inverse wavelength @math{R} by @math{Ry = h c R}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BOHR_RADIUS +The Bohr radius, @math{a_0}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ANGSTROM +The length of 1 angstrom. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BARN +The area of 1 barn. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BOHR_MAGNETON +The Bohr Magneton, @math{\mu_B}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_NUCLEAR_MAGNETON +The Nuclear Magneton, @math{\mu_N}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ELECTRON_MAGNETIC_MOMENT +The absolute value of the magnetic moment of the electron, @math{\mu_e}. +The physical magnetic moment of the electron is negative. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PROTON_MAGNETIC_MOMENT +The magnetic moment of the proton, @math{\mu_p}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_THOMSON_CROSS_SECTION +The Thomson cross section, @math{\sigma_T}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_DEBYE +The electric dipole moment of 1 Debye, @math{D}. +@end table + + +@node Measurement of Time +@section Measurement of Time +@cindex time units +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MINUTE +The number of seconds in 1 minute. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_HOUR +The number of seconds in 1 hour. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_DAY +The number of seconds in 1 day. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_WEEK +The number of seconds in 1 week. +@end table + + +@node Imperial Units +@section Imperial Units +@cindex imperial units +@cindex units, imperial +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_INCH +The length of 1 inch. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FOOT +The length of 1 foot. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_YARD +The length of 1 yard. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MILE +The length of 1 mile. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MIL +The length of 1 mil (1/1000th of an inch). +@end table + + +@node Speed and Nautical Units +@section Speed and Nautical Units +@cindex nautical units + +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_KILOMETERS_PER_HOUR +The speed of 1 kilometer per hour. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MILES_PER_HOUR +The speed of 1 mile per hour. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_NAUTICAL_MILE +The length of 1 nautical mile. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FATHOM +The length of 1 fathom. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_KNOT +The speed of 1 knot. +@end table + + +@node Printers Units +@section Printers Units +@cindex printers units + +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_POINT +The length of 1 printer's point (1/72 inch). + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TEXPOINT +The length of 1 TeX point (1/72.27 inch). +@end table + + +@node Volume Area and Length +@section Volume, Area and Length +@cindex volume units + +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_MICRON +The length of 1 micron. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_HECTARE +The area of 1 hectare. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ACRE +The area of 1 acre. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_LITER +The volume of 1 liter. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_US_GALLON +The volume of 1 US gallon. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_CANADIAN_GALLON +The volume of 1 Canadian gallon. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_UK_GALLON +The volume of 1 UK gallon. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_QUART +The volume of 1 quart. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PINT +The volume of 1 pint. +@end table + + +@comment @node Cookery +@comment @section Cookery +@comment @commentindex cookery units + +@comment @table @commentode +@comment @item GSL_CONST_MKSA_CUP +@comment The volume of 1 cup. + +@comment @item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FLUID_OUNCE +@comment The volume of 1 fluid ounce. + +@comment @item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TABLESPOON +@comment The volume of 1 tablespoon. + +@comment @item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TEASPOON +@comment The volume of 1 teaspoon. +@comment @end table + + +@node Mass and Weight +@section Mass and Weight +@cindex mass, units of +@cindex weight, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_POUND_MASS +The mass of 1 pound. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_OUNCE_MASS +The mass of 1 ounce. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TON +The mass of 1 ton. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_METRIC_TON +The mass of 1 metric ton (1000 kg). + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_UK_TON +The mass of 1 UK ton. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TROY_OUNCE +The mass of 1 troy ounce. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_CARAT +The mass of 1 carat. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_GRAM_FORCE +The force of 1 gram weight. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_POUND_FORCE +The force of 1 pound weight. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_KILOPOUND_FORCE +The force of 1 kilopound weight. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_POUNDAL +The force of 1 poundal. +@end table + + +@node Thermal Energy and Power +@section Thermal Energy and Power +@cindex energy, units of +@cindex power, units of +@cindex thermal energy, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_CALORIE +The energy of 1 calorie. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BTU +The energy of 1 British Thermal Unit, @math{btu}. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_THERM +The energy of 1 Therm. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_HORSEPOWER +The power of 1 horsepower. +@end table + + +@node Pressure +@section Pressure +@cindex pressure, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_BAR +The pressure of 1 bar. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_STD_ATMOSPHERE +The pressure of 1 standard atmosphere. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_TORR +The pressure of 1 torr. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_METER_OF_MERCURY +The pressure of 1 meter of mercury. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_INCH_OF_MERCURY +The pressure of 1 inch of mercury. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_INCH_OF_WATER +The pressure of 1 inch of water. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PSI +The pressure of 1 pound per square inch. +@end table + +@node Viscosity +@section Viscosity +@cindex viscosity, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_POISE +The dynamic viscosity of 1 poise. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_STOKES +The kinematic viscosity of 1 stokes. +@end table + + +@node Light and Illumination +@section Light and Illumination +@cindex light, units of +@cindex illumination, units of + +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_STILB +The luminance of 1 stilb. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_LUMEN +The luminous flux of 1 lumen. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_LUX +The illuminance of 1 lux. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_PHOT +The illuminance of 1 phot. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FOOTCANDLE +The illuminance of 1 footcandle. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_LAMBERT +The luminance of 1 lambert. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_FOOTLAMBERT +The luminance of 1 footlambert. +@end table + + +@node Radioactivity +@section Radioactivity +@cindex radioactivity, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_CURIE +The activity of 1 curie. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ROENTGEN +The exposure of 1 roentgen. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_RAD +The absorbed dose of 1 rad. +@end table + + +@node Force and Energy +@section Force and Energy +@cindex force and energy, units of +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_NEWTON +The SI unit of force, 1 Newton. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_DYNE +The force of 1 Dyne = @c{$10^{-5}$} +@math{10^-5} Newton. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_JOULE +The SI unit of energy, 1 Joule. + +@item GSL_CONST_MKSA_ERG +The energy 1 erg = @c{$10^{-7}$} +@math{10^-7} Joule. +@end table + + +@node Prefixes +@section Prefixes +@cindex prefixes +@cindex constants, prefixes + +These constants are dimensionless scaling factors. + +@table @code +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_YOTTA +@c{$10^{24}$} +@math{10^24} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_ZETTA +@c{$10^{21}$} +@math{10^21} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_EXA +@c{$10^{18}$} +@math{10^18} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_PETA +@c{$10^{15}$} +@math{10^15} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_TERA +@c{$10^{12}$} +@math{10^12} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_GIGA +@math{10^9} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_MEGA +@math{10^6} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_KILO +@math{10^3} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_MILLI +@c{$10^{-3}$} +@math{10^-3} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_MICRO +@c{$10^{-6}$} +@math{10^-6} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_NANO +@c{$10^{-9}$} +@math{10^-9} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_PICO +@c{$10^{-12}$} +@math{10^-12} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_FEMTO +@c{$10^{-15}$} +@math{10^-15} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_ATTO +@c{$10^{-18}$} +@math{10^-18} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_ZEPTO +@c{$10^{-21}$} +@math{10^-21} + +@item GSL_CONST_NUM_YOCTO +@c{$10^{-24}$} +@math{10^-24} +@end table + +@node Physical Constant Examples +@section Examples + +The following program demonstrates the use of the physical constants in +a calculation. In this case, the goal is to calculate the range of +light-travel times from Earth to Mars. + +The required data is the average distance of each planet from the Sun in +astronomical units (the eccentricities and inclinations of the orbits +will be neglected for the purposes of this calculation). The average +radius of the orbit of Mars is 1.52 astronomical units, and for the +orbit of Earth it is 1 astronomical unit (by definition). These values +are combined with the MKSA values of the constants for the speed of +light and the length of an astronomical unit to produce a result for the +shortest and longest light-travel times in seconds. The figures are +converted into minutes before being displayed. + +@example +@verbatiminclude examples/const.c +@end example + +@noindent +Here is the output from the program, + +@example +@verbatiminclude examples/const.out +@end example + +@node Physical Constant References and Further Reading +@section References and Further Reading + +The authoritative sources for physical constants are the 2002 CODATA +recommended values, published in the articles below. Further information +on the values of physical constants is also available from the cited +articles and the NIST website. + +@itemize @asis +@item Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 28(6), 1713-1852, 1999 +@item Reviews of Modern Physics, 72(2), 351-495, 2000 +@item @uref{http://www.physics.nist.gov/cuu/Constants/index.html} +@item @uref{http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/appenB9.html} +@end itemize + |