Astrophysics (Index)About

relaxation time

(time associated with exponential falloff)

The term relaxation time is the time for some process to return to its normal/equilibrium state (relaxation). The term is often used for a quantification of this time in cases where the return is characterized by some quantity falling off exponentially. This is the typical case for the overall relaxation that is a composite of the relaxations of many individual items (e.g., molecules, atoms, or other particles). Relaxation time is the time for that quantity to fall by a factor of e. The return-to-normal's half-life carries the same information but scaled to the time in which the quantity halves. See e-folding time.


(physics,measure)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxation_(physics)
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/relaxation_time
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Kinetics/02%3A_Reaction_Rates/2.01%3A_Experimental_Determination_of_Kinetics/2.1.04%3A_Relaxation_Methods

Referenced by pages:
e-folding time
EXO
nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE)
Stokes number (Stk)

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