subnuclear

[ suhb-noo-klee-er, nyoo-or, by metathesis, -kyuh-ler ]

adjective

1. pertaining to particles within or smaller than an atomic nucleus.

subnuclear

/ sʌbˈnjuːklɪə /

adjective

1. of or relating to particles within the nucleus of an atom
2. of a lesser level of organization than the nucleus of an atom

Pronunciation Note

See nuclear ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of subnuclear¹

First recorded in 1950–55; sub- + nuclear ( def )

Example Sentences

"Now, we can express the structure of subnuclear particles in terms of forces, pressure and physical sizes that also non-physicists can relate to," added Burkert.

From Science Daily

What is “physics”? From the birth of the nuclear age at the end of the Second World War, physics has often been portrayed as the quest to penetrate the atom; to divine the secrets of the subnuclear realm of mesons and quarks with ever more impressive accelerators and ever more gargantuan particle detectors.

From Nature

Physicists now propose that so-called elementary particles such as protons and neutrons are in fact made of still more elementary particles called quarks, which come in a variety of “colors” and “flavors,” as their properties have been termed in a poignant attempt to make the subnuclear world a little more like home.

From Literature

The main mechanisms predicted to produce the Higgs boson involve the combination of these subnuclear particles and force carriers.

From Science Magazine

In the 1980s, it was clear that new accelerators were needed that could reach energies beyond those that had allowed the discovery of many of the subnuclear particles within the SM.

From Science Magazine