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hyperfine structure

American  
[hahy-per-fahyn, hahy-] / ˈhaɪ pərˈfaɪn, ˌhaɪ- /

noun

Physics.

  1. the splitting of the lines of an atomic spectrum, produced by the angular momentum of the nucleus of the atom.

hyperfine structure British  
/ ˈhaɪpəˌfaɪn /

noun

  1. the splitting of a spectral line of an atom or molecule into two or more closely spaced components as a result of interaction of the electrons with the magnetic moments of the nuclei Compare fine structure See also Zeeman effect

"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 hyperfine structure

First recorded in 1925–30; hyper- + fine 1

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.