Glossary
--------

.. glossary::
    :sorted:
    
    
    Physical Domain
      A region in space, time and objects (stars / gas clouds) that can be 
      described by a set of physical models. A physical domain is a 
      limited description of the physics of a stellar system. For example 
      in the gravity domain the gravitational forces are taken into 
      account but not the evolution of stars or the hydrodynamics of th 
      interstellar medium
      
    Module
      Interface to a code in AMUSE. Also, file containing python definitions. 
      These definitions can be imported into the main Python program

    Unit test
      Automatic test case for a part of the code. For example one can 
      define a unit tests that checks the result of one method given a 
      specified argument.

    Application
      A script that combines modules into a multi-physical simulator.
      
    Run
      During a run the physical models are evolved to a wanted end state. 
      A run can end when a certain model time has passed. For example, one 
      can run a script until the age is 12 million years.
      
    Evolve
      Work out / develop the physical model equations. Usually, small steps 
      in time are taken, the new state of the system is calculated from the 
      previous state.

    Step
      An identifiable stage in a run or evolve. A code can take multiple 
      steps during one evolve step. A step can be the integrator step, 
      force calculation step.
      
    Data-model
      A single representation model for data of different physical codes.

    Set
      A collection of identifyable objects (for example all stars in a 
      globular cluster). Every value in the set can be seen as belonging
      to an object.
      
    Grid
      A collection of identifyable locations or regions (for example a box 
      of interstellar medium with a density, molecular composition). Every 
      value in the collection can be seen as belongin to a specific
      location (x,y,z point).

    Code
      A computer program to solve or approximate the equations of state of 
      a physical domain. Codes are usually written in Fortran or C/C++. 
      For example 'sse' is a code to perform stellar evolution.
      
    Production Code
      A code used for modelling stellar systems and described in published 
      articles.
      
    Toy Code
      A code with limited accurancy but that is easy to use.
      
    Numerical Experiment
      
    SPH, smoothed particle hydrodynamics
      A computational method used for simulating fluid flows

    AMR, adaptive mesh refinement
      
    Input / output format

    Binary star
      Two stars in close orbit
      
      
    Star Cluster
      A group of stars. The mean distance between the stars in smaller 
      than the mean distance between stars in the galaxy disks. Two types 
      of star clusters exist: globular clusters, open clusters

    Dense stellar systems
     
    Interstellar Medium
      The matter between the stars in a galaxy. 

    Interstellar Cloud
      Generic name for an accumulation of gas, plasma and dust. A denser 
      region of the insterstellar medium
      
    Molecular Cloud
      A type of insterstellar cloud whose density and size permits the
      formation of molecules,
     
    Gravity Domain

    Hydrodynamics

    Star  


    Stellar Evolution
      
    ZAMS, zero age main sequence
      Start of the main sequence in the evolution of a star. Stable stage
      after formation of the star from a collapsing gas cloud
      
    Main sequence star
      A star that derives its energy from the conversion of hydrogen into 
      helium in its core.
        
    Star cluster
      
      
    Metallicity
      Proportion of star matter made up of chemical elements other than 
      hydrogen and helium.
      
    Galaxy

    Star Core

    Star Envelope