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hyperfine structure

[hahy-per-fahyn, hahy-]
noun Physics.
  1. the splitting of the lines of an atomic spectrum, produced by the angular momentum of the nucleus of the atom.
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Compare fine structure.

Origin of hyperfine structure

First recorded in 1925–30; hyper- + fine1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for hyperfine structure

hyperfine structure

noun
  1. the splitting of a spectral line of an atom or molecule into two or more closely spaced components as a result of interaction of the electrons with the magnetic moments of the nucleiCompare fine structure See also Zeeman effect
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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