Appendix A: Nomenclature

Author: Leonardo Pinero-Perez
Written: 2018 · Thesis, University of Texas at Arlington
Original: Full thesis · 105 pages
Contents: Chapter 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · Appendix A: Nomenclature · References · Acknowledgments and Biographical Information

Converted from the original PDF on 8 Nov 2026 with Claude Opus 5.5. The wording is unchanged, except: my name is spelled without accents, and Tables 1.1 and 1.2, pictures in the PDF, are typed out. Equations, figures and numbering follow the original. Conversion not yet checked against the PDF.

Greek Letters:

$β$: Atmospheric scale height [km]
$γ$: Flight path angle [deg]
$Δ$: Change in following variable, such as velocity
$λ$: Minor cone angle for synergetic turn [deg]
$ρ$: Mass density [kg/m³]
$τ$: Küchemann’s Tau, $V O L / S_{p l a n}^{1.5}$
$φ$: Turn angle [rad]

Subscripts:

$0$: Denotes initial or surface value
$\oplus$: Relating to planet Earth
$θ$: Orientated along a curved surface in a polar coordinate system
$C$: Of a circular orbit
$d e s$: Relating to descent
$D$: Drag
$i$: Initial value for a differential equation, inclination, or batch ID number
$j$: Generation ID number
$P I$: Relating to performance index
$r e q$: Variable defined by mission requirement

Latin Letters:

$a$: Acceleration [m/s²]
$b$: Width or span [m]
$A$: Reference area, perpendicular to aircraft centerline [m²], logic-weight, or estimation constant
$B$: Estimation constant, or logic-weight
$c$: Chord length [m]
$C$: Non-dimensional coefficient, or logic-weight
$C i r c$: Circumference [m]
$D$: Drag [N]
$F$: Range function for synergetic turn
$g$: Gravitational acceleration [m/s²]
$H$: Step size [m]
$I_{s p}$: Engine Specific Impulse
$I_{s t r}$: Structural Index [kg/m²]
$K$: Gravitational constant of a planetary body, $g_{0} R_{e a r t h}^{2}$
$L$: Lift [N]
$m$: mass [kg]
$M$: Mach number
$\bar{M}$: Mean molecular mass [g/mol]
$M R$: Mass Ratio, $W_{f u l l} / W_{e m p t y}$
$N$: Integer count of that specified by subscript
$p$: elliptical axis length 1 [m]
$q$: elliptical axis length 2 [m]
$\dot{q}$: heating rate [J/ (m² s)]
$r$: Local radius [m], [km]
$R$: Universal Gas Constant [8.314 J/ (mol K)], constant planetary radius [m], [km]
$s$: Path length as a planet surface ground-track [m], [km]
$S$: Surface Area [m²]
$t$: Time [s]
$\bar{T}$: Mean temperature [K]
$\bar{u}$: Normalized ground track velocity
$V$: Velocity [m/s], [km/s]
$V O L$: Volume [m³]
$W$: Weight [N]
$x$: Axial coordinate on aircraft configuration
$y$: Altitude [m], [km], lateral coordinate on aircraft configuration
$x$: vertical coordinate on aircraft configuration
$Z$: Function Variable for Chapman’s Trajectory Analysis [3]

Spotted an error, or want to reply? Email me: leonardo.pinero42 [at] gmail [dot] com