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hot spot
hot spot
1. A compact, highly luminous region (sometimes called a bright spot) in a cataclysmic binary, located either where the stream of material hits the edge of the accretion disk, or at the inner edge of the disk. There may be small-scale flickering or larger variations in luminosity depending on fluctuations in the rate of mass transfer. The presence of a hot spot is often indicated by a hump in the orbital light-curve. 2. A small, bright region in a lobe of a radio galaxy. It is believed to be the site where high-velocity material in a jet collides with the leading boundary between the lobe and the surrounding intergalactic medium. |
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"hot spot." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-hotspot.html "hot spot." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-hotspot.html |
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hot spot
hot spot • n. a small area or region with a relatively hot temperature in comparison to its surroundings. ∎ Geol. an area of volcanic activity, esp. where this is isolated. ∎ fig. a place of significant activity or danger: the hotel was the hot spot in town, with its all-night coffee shop. ∎ (also hot·spot) Comput. an area on the screen that can be clicked on to start an operation such as loading a file. |
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"hot spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hot spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hotspot.html "hot spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hotspot.html |
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hot spot
hot spot An area of high volcanic activity. Some hot spots, e.g. Iceland, are located on constructive margins. Others occur within lithospheric plates, often lying at the end of a chain of progressively older volcanoes, e.g. the Hawaiian-Emperor Chain. The hot spot is thought to be stationary, or nearly so, and to produce volcanoes intermittently as the plate moves over it. It has been suggested that mantle plumes lie beneath hot spots.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-hotspot.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-hotspot.html |
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hot spot
hot spot An area which contains a large number of rare or endangered species and for that reason is designated for protection. Identifying hot spots is the traditional technique by which sites are selected for protection, but it tends to concentrate that protection on a small number of areas, leaving others, and the many species in them, unprotected. Many conservation biologists prefer to identify conservation areas by gap analysis.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-hotspot.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "hot spot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-hotspot.html |
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hot spot
hot spot A part of a system which is heavily used or executed. For example, programs have hot spots that are regions of code which are frequently executed; networks also have hotspots (known as CHOKE POINTS) where traffic is at its heaviest.
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DARREL INCE. "hot spot." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DARREL INCE. "hot spot." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-hotspot.html DARREL INCE. "hot spot." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-hotspot.html |
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hot spot
hot spot region in a contaminated area in which the level of radioactive contamination is considerably greater than in neighboring regions in the area.
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"hot spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hot spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-hotspot.html "hot spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-hotspot.html |
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