| backward curvature | Curvature in which a more distal or cephalad part is deviated posteriorly with respect to the coronal anatomic plane. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| backward heart failure | A concept (formerly considered mutually exclusive of forward heart failure) that maintains that the phenomena of congestive heart failure result from passive engorgement of the veins caused by a "backward" rise in pressure proximal to the failing cardiac chambers. Compare: forward heart failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pitch angle scattering | <physics> Scattering (collisional, or due to wave-particle effects) of particles in velocity space, in which the pitch angle (see entry above) is changed. (09 Oct 1997) |
| Compton scattering | <radiobiology> An attenuation process observed for x and gamma radiation in which an incident photon interacts with an orbital electron of an atom to produce a recoil electron and a scattered photon of energy less than the incident photon. (16 Dec 1997) |
| scattering | <radiobiology> The deflection of one particle as a result of collisions with other particles or with waves. See: Elastic. (09 Oct 1997) |
| scattering, radiation | The process in which energy is removed from a beam of light or other electromagnetic radiation and emitted without appreciable change in wavelength. May be considered as the change in direction of a particle or photon owing to a collision with another particle or system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Thomson scattering | <radiobiology> Scattering of photons by electrons, in the classical (low photon energy) limit. Laser light passed through a plasma will experience Thomson scattering, the spread of the scattered light in energy provides a very good measurement of the electron temperature of the plasma. (09 Oct 1997) |
| light scattering | Particles suspended in a solution will cause scattering of light and the extent of the scattering is related to the size and shape of the particles (in a somewhat complex relationship). (18 Nov 1997) |