perturbation

[ pur-ter-bey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of perturbing.
2. the state of being perturbed.
3. mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation.
4. a cause of mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation.
5. Astronomy. deviation of a celestial body from a regular orbit about its primary, caused by the presence of one or more other bodies that act upon the celestial body.

perturbation

/ ˌpɜːtəˈbeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of perturbing or the state of being perturbed
2. a cause of disturbance or upset
3. physics a secondary influence on a system that modifies simple behaviour, such as the effect of the other electrons on one electron in an atom
4. astronomy a small continuous deviation in the inclination and eccentricity of the orbit of a planet or comet, due to the attraction of neighbouring planets

perturbation

/ pûr′tər-bā′shən /

1. A small change in a physical system, most often in a physical system at equilibrium that is disturbed from the outside.
2. Variation in a designated orbit, as of a planet, that results from the influence of one or more external bodies. Gravitational attraction between planets can cause perturbations and cause a planet to deviate from its expected orbit. Perturbations in Neptune's orbit led to the discovery of the object—Pluto—that was causing the perturbation. Perturbations in the orbits of stars have led to the discovery of planetary systems outside of our Solar system.

Other Words From

• pertur·bation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perturbation¹

1325–75; < Latin perturbātiōn- (stem of perturbātiō; perturb, -ation ); replacing Middle English perturbacioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

The performance loss is partly due to the difficulty of optimizing the shape and amplitude of the applied magnetic perturbations, which in turn stems from the computational intensity of existing physics-based optimization approaches.

From Science Daily

Carbon cycle models calibrated with paleoclimate datasets form the basis for scientists' understanding of the global marine carbon cycle and how it responds to natural perturbations.

From Science Daily

It's also regarded as a potential tipping element of the Earth's climate, meaning that a tiny perturbation could push the system to a point of no return.

From Science Daily

The researchers could introduce a genetic perturbation and see how that might affect the network and an individual's health.

From Science Daily

"This suggests that any perturbations to these small-scale interactions can dramatically change the function of the brain, which may impact sensory perception and possibly contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism."

From Science Daily