J/psi particle

[ jey-sahy, -psahy ]

noun

, Physics.

1. the lightest of the psi particles, the first particle to be discovered that contains a charmed quark.

J/psi particle

noun

1. a type of elementary particle (meson) thought to be formed from charmed quarks See charm 1

J/psi particle

/ jā′sī′,-psī′ /

1. An electrically neutral meson having a mass 6,060 times that of the electron and a mean lifetime of approximately 1 × 10 ^-20 seconds. The observation of this unusually long lifetime, in 1974, is what led to the hypothesis that other quarks existed in addition to the up, down, and strange quarks. It was the first firm experimental evidence for the charm quark and is considered to be a charm-anticharm quark pair.
2. Also called J particle psi particle
3. See Table at subatomic particle

Word History and Origins

Origin of J/psi particle¹

First recorded in 1975–80; see J particle, psi particle

Example Sentences

In 1974, as part of a collaboration led by Burton Richter at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Dr. Goldhaber helped to discover the “j/psi particle,” the first of a new family of quarks, elementary particles from which other particles are built.

From New York Times