Gunn-Peterson trough

noun

A feature in astronomical spectrometry of distant light, caused by the Reionization Era's absorption of UV light, leaving a gap in the spectrum.

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Meanings

nounGunn-Peterson trough (plural Gunn-Peterson troughs)

plural Gunn-Peterson troughs

  1. A feature in astronomical spectrometry of distant light, caused by the Reionization Era's absorption of UV light, leaving a gap in the spectrum.

Origin

From the theoreticians who predicted this effect, astronomers James E. Gunn and Bruce Peterson, which creates a lack of radiation at a span of wavelengths.

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Cite this entry
APA

Gunn-Peterson trough. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gunn-Peterson%20trough

MLA

“Gunn-Peterson trough.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gunn-Peterson%20trough. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gunn-Peterson trough,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gunn-Peterson%20trough.

Source: Gunn-Peterson trough on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.