buzz

buzz

[bəz]

(aerospace engineering)

Sustained oscillation of an aerodynamic control surface caused by intermittent flow separation on the surface, or by a motion of shock waves across the surface, or by a combination of flow separation and shock-wave motion on the surface.

(control systems)

dither

(electronics)

The condition of a combinatorial circuit with feedback that has undergone a transition, caused by the inputs, from an unstable state to a new state that is also unstable.

(fluid mechanics)

In supersonic diffuser aerodynamics, a nonsteady shock motion and airflow associated with the shock system ahead of the inlet.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

buzz

i. An airflow instability that occurs when a shock wave is alternately swallowed and regurgitated by the inlet. At its worst, the condition can cause violent fluctuation in pressure throughout the inlet, which may result in damage to the inlet structure and maybe to the engine itself. Also called intake buzz.
ii. To harass another aircraft in flight or ground objects by flying dangerously close to them.
iii. The oscillation of control surface or other structure at very high audible frequencies. The commonest such phenomenon is aileron buzz. This sustained oscillation of control surfaces caused by intermittent flow separation on the surface, by a motion of shock waves across the surface, or by a combination of flow separation and shock-wave motion on the surface may result in damaging or even breaking of ailerons.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

buzz

(1)

Of a program, to run with no indication of progress and perhaps without guarantee of ever finishing; especially said of programs thought to be executing a tight loop of code. A program that is buzzing appears to be catatonic, but never gets out of catatonia, while a buzzing loop may eventually end of its own accord. "The program buzzes for about 10 seconds trying to sort all the names into order." See spin; see also grovel.

buzz

(2)

[ETA Systems] To test a wire or printed circuit trace for continuity by applying an AC rather than DC signal. Some wire faults will pass DC tests but fail a buzz test.

buzz

(3)

To process an array or list in sequence, doing the same thing to each element. "This loop buzzes through the tz array looking for a terminator type."

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

buzz

The latest gossip or rumor. See buzzword, Google Buzz and BuzzFeed.

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