coherence

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coherence

coherence constant phase difference in two or more Waves over time. Two waves are said to be in phase if their crests and troughs meet at the same place at the same time, and the waves are out of phase if the crests of one meet the troughs of another. The waves are incoherent if the crests and troughs meet randomly. Coherence underlies a variety of physical phenomena, such as interference and diffraction . Coherence is also responsible for many of the remarkable properties of laser radiation; laser light is coherent, which is to say that the light waves from a laser are all in phase.

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coherence

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Â© A Dictionary of Astronomy 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

coherence A measure of the extent to which electromagnetic waves are in step with one another. On an astrophysical scale, maser sources are the most notable emitters of coherent radiation.

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coherence

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Â© A Dictionary of Earth Sciences 1999, originally published by Oxford University Press 1999. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

coherence Two wave trains which are in phase. Coherence is also an indication of the similarity of two functions and is the frequency domain analogy with correlation in the time domain.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "coherence." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "coherence." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (November 27, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-coherence.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "coherence." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-coherence.html

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