van Stockum dust

noun

In general relativity, an exact solution of the Einstein field equation in which the gravitational field is generated by dust rotating about an axis of cylindrical symmetry.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounvan Stockum dust (uncountable)
  1. uncountablenatural sciencesIn general relativity, an exact solution of the Einstein field equation in which the gravitational field is generated by dust rotating about an axis of cylindrical symmetry.

Origin

Named for Willem Jacob van Stockum, who rediscovered it in 1937, independently of an earlier discovery by Cornelius Lanczos in 1924.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

van Stockum dust. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20Stockum%20dust

MLA

“van Stockum dust.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20Stockum%20dust. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “van Stockum dust,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20Stockum%20dust.

Source: van Stockum dust on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.