circularized

Circularized is an adjective derived from circularize, meaning made into a circle or closed loop. It is used to describe objects, molecules, or trajectories that have been transformed into a circular form.

In orbital dynamics, circularization refers to the evolution of an orbit toward low eccentricity, typically due to tidal forces in close binaries or gas drag in disks. A circularized orbit has a nearly constant distance from the focus and a stable orbital period.

In molecular biology, circularized DNA or RNA refers to molecules formed into a circle, such as circular plasmids produced by ligating linear fragments. Circularization can enhance stability and enable autonomous replication in host cells, and it is common in cloning, vector design, and certain sequencing workflows.

In chemistry and materials science, circularization describes the formation of cyclic polymers or macrocycles by linking chain ends, yielding structures with distinct physical properties compared to linear analogues.