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Showing results for radiolysis. Search instead for cardiolysis.

radiolysis

American  
[ray-dee-ol-uh-sis] / reɪ diˈɒl ə sɪs /

noun

Chemistry.
  1. the dissociation of molecules by ionizing radiation.


radiolysis British  
/ ˌreɪdɪˈɒlɪsɪs /

noun

  1. chemical decomposition caused by radiation, such as a beam of electrons or X-rays

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of radiolysis

First recorded in 1945–50; radio- + -lysis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It’s covered by the ancient Gawler Craton, and its iron and uranium mines point to the source rocks needed for both serpentinization and radiolysis.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 15, 2023

A second mechanism, radiolysis, may generate the rest.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 15, 2023

They plugged these attributes into a computer model that simulated radiolysis to see how efficiently the process would have generated hydrogen gas and sulfates: chemical ingredients that can power the metabolism of underground bacteria.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 12, 2021

Scientists have previously studied Mars radiolysis, but this marks the first estimate using Martian rocks to quantify the planet’s subsurface habitability.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 12, 2021

Extrapolating these rates over geologically important periods of time and merging with modeled radiolysis data yields a predicted 1000-fold decrease in 100–atomic mass unit organic molecules in ∼650 million years.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 23, 2014

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