spallation

American

[spaw-lay-shuhn] / spɔˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

Physics.

a nuclear reaction in which several nucleons are released from the nucleus of an atom.

spallation British

/ spəˈleɪʃən /

noun

physics a type of nuclear reaction in which a photon or particle hits a nucleus and causes it to emit many other particles or photons

"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

Etymology

Origin of spallation

First recorded in 1945–50; spall + -ation

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

spallation

Two general types of reactions, known as spallation and fragmentation, are distinguished.

From LRL Accelerators The 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron by Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023