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muon
[ myoo-on ]
noun
- a lepton similar in most respects to the electron except that it is unstable, it may be positively charged, and its mass is approximately 207 times greater; the positively charged muon is the antiparticle of the negatively charged muon. : μ
muon
/ ˈmjuːɒn; mjuːˈɒnɪk /
noun
- a positive or negative elementary particle with a mass 207 times that of an electron and spin 1 2 . It was originally called the mu meson but is now classified as a lepton
muon
/ myo̅o̅′ŏn′ /
- An elementary particle in the lepton family having a mass 209 times that of the electron, a negative electric charge, and a mean lifetime of 2.2 × 10 -6 seconds. The muon was originally called the mu-meson and was once thought to be a meson.
- See Table at subatomic particle
Derived Forms
- muonic, adjective
Other Words From
- mu·onic adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of muon1
Example Sentences
Each second, about 100 billion neutrinos from the sun pass through your thumbnail, and you’re bathed in a rain of muons, birthed in Earth’s atmosphere.
The more than 5,000 detectors above ground watch for the ensemble of particles raining down after both cosmic ray strikes and gamma ray strikes, while the more than 1,000 underground detectors sense only muons.
This way the scientists can generate a beam of muons that they can study, instead of a diffuse shower.
The best explanation, physicists say, is that the muon is being influenced by forms of matter and energy that are not yet known to science, but which may nevertheless affect the nature and evolution of the universe.
In 2001, an experiment hinted that one property of the muon was not exactly as the standard model predicted, but new studies were needed to confirm.
The behavior of the muon is well understood, but its role as one of the elementary particles is unknown.
The muon is unstable, eventually undergoing a radioactive decay into an electron.
Although the muon does not experience nuclear forces, it can interact weakly with nuclei.
That is, if the muon did not exist, what effect would this have on the structure of matter?
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