Glossary

Acrophase — clock time or circular phase at the fitted rhythm maximum.

Actogram — activity arranged in successive day rows; double plotting repeats one cycle to expose continuity.

Circadian time (CT) — phase expressed on a 24-hour reference cycle without requiring wall-clock time.

Entrainment — stable alignment of an oscillator to a repeated external cue, called a zeitgeber.

Masking — an immediate change in measured activity caused by a stimulus, distinct from a shifted internal clock.

MESOR — midline estimating statistic of rhythm, the intercept of a cosinor fit.

Phase-response curve (PRC) — fitted phase shift as a function of stimulus circadian time.

Q10 — multiplicative change in a rate for a 10 °C temperature increase; the workbench applies it to rate 1 / period.

Resultant length (R) — circular concentration from zero, fully dispersed, to one, identical phase.

Tau (τ) — free-running period estimated from timing or activity.

Ultradian — a repeatable period shorter than a circadian day.

Zeitgeber — a repeated external time cue such as a light transition or meal.