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

Researchers have already shown they can fuse protons and boron by using particle beams aimed at a solid target or by blasting plasma with lasers.

From Science Magazine

In a tokamak, microwaves and particle beams heat the fuel and magnetic fields trap it.

From Science Magazine

Heating is provided by microwaves or high energy particle beams.

From Science Magazine

The Large Hadron Collider is starting a new chapter in its life, with more powerful particle beams, enhanced detector capabilities and more sophisticated techniques to enable discovery.

From Scientific American

Here, engineers are revamping the 15 metre-long cylindrical magnets that bend the particle beams around the accelerator.

From BBC