neutron

American  

[noo-tron, nyoo-] / ˈnu trɒn, ˈnyu- /

noun

Physics.

1. an elementary particle having no charge, mass slightly greater than that of a proton, and spin of ½: a constituent of the nuclei of all atoms except those of hydrogen. n

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neutron British  

/ ˈnjuːtrɒn /

noun

1. physics a neutral elementary particle with a rest mass of 1.674 92716 × 10 ^–27 kilogram and spin 1/ 2 ; classified as a baryon. In the nucleus of an atom it is stable, but when free it decays

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neutron Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′trŏn′ /

1. An electrically neutral subatomic particle in the baryon family, having a mass of 1.674 × 10 ^{- 24} grams (1,838 times that of the electron and slightly greater than that of the proton). Neutrons are part of the nucleus of all atoms, except hydrogen, and have a mean lifetime of approximately 1.0×10 ³ seconds as free particles. They consist of a triplet of quarks, including two down quarks and one up quark, bound together by gluons. In radioactive atoms, excess neutrons are converted to protons by beta decay. Beams of neutrons from nuclear reactors are used to bombard the atoms of various elements to produce fission and other nuclear reactions and to determine the atomic arrangements in molecules.

2. See Table at subatomic particle

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neutron Cultural  

1. An elementary particle without an electrical charge; one of the building blocks of the nucleus of the atom. A neutron has about the same mass as a proton.

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Etymology

Origin of neutron

First recorded in 1920–25; neutr(o)- + -on ¹

Example Sentences

Pulsars are dense remnants of massive stars known as neutron stars.

From Science Daily

Gravity then overwhelms the outward pressure, causing the core to collapse and form a dense neutron star.

From Science Daily

In this picture, a single particle moves through a sea of fermions such as electrons, protons, or neutrons and constantly interacts with those around it.

From Science Daily

"The evidence strongly supports a binary system containing a magnetar -- a neutron star with an extremely strong magnetic field, and a star like our Sun."

From Science Daily

The planet circles a rapidly spinning neutron star.

From Science Daily