particle beam

American  

noun

1. Physics. a concentrated stream of particles, as electrons, neutrons, or protons, generated for studying particle interactions, nuclear structure, crystal structure, etc.

2. Military. a high-energy stream of such particles for use as a weapon or for antimissile defense.

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particle beam British  

noun

1. a stream of energized particles produced by a particle accelerator

2. such a stream emitted by a particle beam weapon

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Example Sentences

Still, MDA recently scrapped plans to test a prototype 500-kilowatt airborne laser by 2025 and to develop a space-based neutral particle beam.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 8, 2020

It’s been only seven years since the Tevatron last fired up its particle beam, but it seemed like a much longer time ago.

From New York Times • May 28, 2018

Milner and his team believe a charged particle beam such as the free-electron laser could coax a dark photon out of hiding.

From Washington Times • Jun. 25, 2016

Milner and his team say they believe a charged particle beam such as the free-electron laser could coax a dark photon out of hiding.

From Washington Post • Jun. 24, 2016

They had fenced off the parallel faces of each dee with a grid of fine tungsten wires to prevent the electrical field from impinging within the dees while allowing the particle beam to pass through.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik