A magnetic flare from the accretion disk of the black hole might divert the plasma stream of a space boat's reaction drive or "...start ruinous waves of resonance." (p. 339) However:
"The boat's collimating fields compensated." (ibid.)
Despite this:
"'A magnetic pulse of very high power seriously interfered with plasma collimation...'" (p. 341)
The term, "collimation," seemed familiar so I referred back to James Blish, "Nor Iron Bars" IN Blish, Galactic Cluster (London, 1963), pp. 61-92:
"...collimation-cruising..." (p. 69);
"'...I can use the star as a beacon to collimate my next measurements.'" (p. 87);
"'It'll be cut and dried into a routine after it's collimated -'" (p. 91)
This story can be seen as one episode of a future historical sequence by Blish. See here and here.
Apart from "collimation," there were one or two other words in Starfarers today that needed googling. However, since I was unwell and bed-ridden, I failed to make a note of them. But the message is clear: Anderson's rich vocabulary means that it makes sense to note unusual words and google them frequently.
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