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muon

[ myoo-on ]

noun

, Physics.
  1. a lepton similar in most respects to the electron except that it is unstable, it may be positively charged, and its mass is approximately 207 times greater; the positively charged muon is the antiparticle of the negatively charged muon. : μ


muon

/ ˈmjuːɒn; mjuːˈɒnɪk /

noun

  1. a positive or negative elementary particle with a mass 207 times that of an electron and spin 1 2 . It was originally called the mu meson but is now classified as a lepton
“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


muon

/ myo̅o̅ŏn′ /

  1. An elementary particle in the lepton family having a mass 209 times that of the electron, a negative electric charge, and a mean lifetime of 2.2 × 10 -6 seconds. The muon was originally called the mu-meson and was once thought to be a meson.
  2. See Table at subatomic particle


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Derived Forms

  • muonic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • mu·onic adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of muon1

1950–55; by shortening of mu meson; mu, -on 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of muon1

C20: short for mu meson
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Example Sentences

There’s just one catch: Nobody knows whether a muon collider can actually be built.

The neutrino can have three fundamental configurations -- flavors as they are termed by the physicists -- which are electron, muon, and tau.

The Standard Model is a theory that attempts to describe subatomic particles, such as quarks and muons, along with the four fundamental forces: strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravity.

They come in three types—electron, muon, and tau—that morph into one another, a phenomenon that might help explain how the universe generated more matter than antimatter.

But she cautions that because muons decay so rapidly, such a collider presents myriad technical challenges.

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Muntz metalmuon-catalysed fusion