DISCUSSION, PROPOSALS

Vilius PALENSKIS, Vytautas VALIUKĖNAS

ON “ATTENUATOR,” “DAMPER,” AND “SUPPRESSOR”

Many specialists in physics and technology encounter the English words attenuation, attenuator, damping, damper, suppression and sup-ressor and their equivalents in other languages [1–3], but there is still confusion in the use of their Lithuanian equivalents. In the “Dictionary of Physics Terms” [4], the English term attenuation is matched with silpimas, silpninimas, damping – slopimas, slopinimas, silpimas, silpninimas, attenua-tor – attenuatorius, silpnintuvas, slopintuvas, damper – slopintuvas, while the words suppression and suppressor are not included. The “Dictionary of Laser Physics Terms” [5] gives attenuation – silpimas, attenuator – silpnintuvas, suppression – malšinimas, suppressor – malšintuvas. The two most recent terms—malšinimas and malšintuvas—are also found in the dictionary of telecommunications terms and in the electromagnetic compatibility standard [3, 6]. In English–Russian and French–Russian radiotechnics dictionaries [7, 8], the English attenuation and French atténuation correspond in Russian to затухание (в пространстве), ослабление, поглощение. The English damping corresponds to the French word amortissement [1, 2], and the latter to the Russian word затухание (во времени) [8, 9]. The “Russian–Lithuanian Polytechnic Dictionary” [10] includes ослабление – silpninimas, silpimas, (su)silpnėjimas, slopinimas; ослабитель – silpnintuvas, slopintuvas, attenuatorius; затухание – 1. gesimas, 2. silpimas, 3. slopimas, slopinimas; аттенюатор – аттенюаториус, silpnintuvas, демпфер – slopintuvas, демпфер; демпфирование – slopinimas; подавитель – slopintuvas; подавление – (nu)slopinimas.

It is clear that the greatest confusion is found in the polytechnic dictionary [10]. Moreover, the English, Russian, and French languages indicate that attenuation denotes the spatial decrease in the value of a physical quantity, whereas damping denotes its decrease over time. The English word suppression corresponds in Lithuanian to numalšinimas, nuslopinimas [11]. Malšinti means “to make less perceptible” [12]. In radiotechnics, laser technology, etc., the term—

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malsinimas is used when it is meant that unwanted harmful oscillations, signals, and the like are to be reduced, eliminated, or suppressed. Malsintuvas removes noise, interference, and the like, while leaving the useful signal intact. An attenuator, by contrast, attenuates both the useful signal and noise (interference, disturbances) equally within the same frequency range.

To facilitate understanding of these terms and to encourage agreement among specialists in the various fields who use them, we present these Lithuanian terms with definitions and equivalents in other languages (English, German, French, and Russian).

suppression /suppression/ Unterdrückung (l)/ suppression (l)/ подавление (n)

Elimination or suppression of unwanted or harmful signals, oscillations, or electromagnetic waves at a particular frequency or within a frequency range; most often, reduction of their level to specified values. Suppression is characterized by signal-to-noise, signal-to-interference, and similar ratios [6].

suppressor /suppressor/ Unterdrücker (m), Unterdrückungsenrichtung (f)/ suppresseur (m), annuleur (m)/ подавитель (m), устрой-ство (n) подавления

A device or apparatus for suppressing, eliminating, or removing unwanted or harmful signals, oscillations, or electromagnetic waves.

attenuation /attenuation/ Abschwächung (l)/ affaiblissement (m), atténuation (f)/ затухание (n) (в пространстве), ослабление (n)

A decrease in the value of a physical quantity (or a reduction thereof) in a particular environment (material, medium) or system (apparatus, device) due to their mutual interaction. It is characterized by an attenuation coefficient.

attenuator /attenuator/ Abschwächer (m)/ affaiblisseur (m), atténuateur (m)/ ослабитель (m), attenuator (m)

A device for attenuating the value of a particular physical quantity.

damping /damping/ Dämpfung (f)/ amortissement (m)/ attenuation (n) (over time), calming (n), damping (n)

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The temporal reduction (or decrease) in the amplitude of mechanical, electrical, and other oscillations of a system, device, or apparatus. The rate of oscillation damping is characterized by the damping coefficient or logarithmic decrement.

dampener /damper/ Dämpfer (m), Dämpfungsvorrichtung (f)/ amortisseur (m)/ успокоитель (m), демпфер (m)

A device or system component for damping (reducing) the amplitude of mechanical, electrical, or other oscillations.

Dampers may be input, output, fixed, variable, adjustable, absorptive, ferrite, surface, limiting, radiation, etc. They are widely used in radio engineering, microwave electrodynamics, laser technology, and other fields to attenuate electromagnetic energy and radiation.

Dampers may be air, liquid, magneto-inductive, etc. They are most widely used in pointer instruments to damp oscillations of the moving part of the measuring mechanism.

Suppressors may be echo, harmonic, mode, disturbance, interference, noise, etc. They are used in radio engineering systems, laser technology, microwave electrodynamics, and other fields. They suppress (eliminate) unwanted signals.

Literatūra:

1. Словарь по электронике. – М.: Русский язык, 1984.

2. Словарь по электротехнике. – М.: Русский язык, 1985.

3. Ryšių technikos terminų penkiakalbis žodynas. – V., 1994.

4. Fizikos terminų žodynas. – V.: Mokslas, 1979.

5. Lazerų fizikos terminų žodynas. – V., 1990.

6. Lietuvos standartas LST IEC 50 (161) “Elektrotechnika. Terminai ir apibrėžimai. 161 skyrius: Elektromagnetinis suderinamumas” (spaudoje).

7. Англо-русский словарь по радиотехнике. – М.: 1959.

8. Французско-русский радиотехнический словарь. – М.: 1963.

9. Французско-русский словарь по радиоэлектронике. – М.: Русский язык, 1978.

10 Rusų-lietuvių kalbų politechnikos žodynas. – V.: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija, 1989.

11. Anglų-lietuvių kalbų žodynas. – V.: Mokslas, 1986.

12. Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas. – V.: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidykla, 1993.

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