# Jeans escape

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A type of atmospheric escape in which a light gas atom or molecule (typically a helium atom or hydrogen molecule) gains sufficient momentum through collision with other molecules to escape the atmosphere (and gravitational pull) of a planet.

## Etymology
Named after English physicist Sir James Jeans (1877–1946), who is credited with calculating the rate of such atmospheric escape.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/jeans-escape