free electron

American  

noun

Physics.

1. an electron that is not attached to an atom or molecule and is free to respond to outside forces.

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free electron British  

noun

1. any electron that is not attached to an ion, atom, or molecule and is free to move under the influence of an applied electric or magnetic field

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Etymology

Origin of free electron

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

free electron

Brighter soft X-ray free electron lasers are available which would enable even clearer images with less grainy "noise."

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2024

This kind of accelerator could also be used to drive another device called an X-ray free electron laser, which could take slow-motion movies of processes on the atomic or molecular scale.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2023

In a free electron laser, a linear accelerator, or linac, shoots a beam of high-energy electrons into a string of complex magnets called undulators.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 18, 2023

This corresponds to a free electron with no kinetic energy, since rn gets very large for large n , and the electric potential energy thus becomes zero.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Charley danced and flicked around the cabin like a free electron with a careless disregard for traffic regulations and public safety.

From Master of the Moondog by Mullen, Stanley