antineutron

[ an-tee-noo-tron, -nyoo-, an-tahy- ]

noun

, Physics.

1. an elementary particle having no charge and having a mass and spin equal to that of the neutron but with magnetic moment opposite to that of the neutron; the antiparticle of the neutron.

adjective

1. Also anti-neutron. opposing the building, stockpiling, or use of neutron bombs:

   The antineutron lobby was outnumbered.

antineutron

/ ˌæntɪˈnjuːtrɒn /

noun

1. the antiparticle of a neutron; a particle having the same mass as the neutron but a magnetic moment of opposite sign

antineutron

/ ăn′tē-no̅o̅′trŏn′,ăn′tī- /

1. The antiparticle that corresponds to the neutron.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antineutron¹

First recorded in 1940–45; anti- + neutron

Example Sentences

An antiproton is relatively easy to form, yet anything heavier, such as antideuterium—an antiproton plus an antineutron—or antihelium—two antiprotons plus typically one or two antineutrons—gets progressively harder to make as it gets more massive.

From Scientific American

Another intriguing finding is AMS’s detection of antihelium particles—helium’s antimatter counterparts, which contain two antiprotons and an antineutron—a result the AMS researchers have not yet published.

From Scientific American

The AMS, he says, has seen a handful of candidate particles of antihelium-3, made of two antiprotons and an antineutron.

From Science Magazine

The realm of antimatter is a sort of shadow world in which the particles of our matter-dominated world have mutually annihilating counterparts—the electron has an antimatter partner in the positron, the proton has the antiproton, the neutron has the antineutron, and so forth.

From Scientific American

If an antineutron hits a neutron, both turn into energy.

From Time Magazine Archive