muon
[myoo-on]
- 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. Symbol: μ
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Origin of muon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for muon
Historical Examples
That is, if the muon did not exist, what effect would this have on the structure of matter?
LRL AcceleratorsLawrence Radiation Laboratory
The behavior of the muon is well understood, but its role as one of the elementary particles is unknown.
LRL AcceleratorsLawrence Radiation Laboratory
The muon is unstable, eventually undergoing a radioactive decay into an electron.
LRL AcceleratorsLawrence Radiation Laboratory
Although the muon does not experience nuclear forces, it can interact weakly with nuclei.
LRL AcceleratorsLawrence Radiation Laboratory
muon
- 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
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Word Origin
C20: short for mu meson
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
muon
[myōō′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 X 10-6 seconds. The muon was originally called the mu-meson and was once thought to be a meson. See Table at subatomic particle.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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