Working mass Working mass Working mass, also referred to as reaction mass, is a mass against which a system operates in order to produce acceleration. In the case of a rocket, for example, the reaction mass is the fuel shot backwards to provide propulsion. All acceleration requires an exchange of momentum, which can be thought of as the "unit of movement". Momentum is related to mass and velocity, as given by the formula "P = mv," where "P" is the momentum, "m" the mass, and "v" the velocity. The velocity of a body is easily changeable, but in most cases the mass
Binary mass function An exoplanet causes its host star to move in a small orbit around the center of mass of the star-planet system. This 'wobble' can be observed if the radial velocity of the star is sufficiently high. This is the radial velocity method of detecting exoplanets. Using the mass function and the radial velocity of the host star, the minimum mass of an exoplanet can be determined. Applying this method on Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the solar system, led to the discovery of Proxima Centauri b, a terrestrial planet with a minimum mass of . Pulsar planets are planets