muon

play

noun mu·on \ ˈmyü-ˌän \

Definition of muon

:an unstable lepton that is common in the cosmic radiation near the earth's surface, has a mass about 207 times the mass of the electron, and exists in negative and positive forms

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muonic

play \myü-ˈä-nik\ adjective

Recent Examples of muon from the Web

The students built a special apparatus to aim the muon neutrino detectors correctly.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Lessons are a shot in the dark," 18 Aug. 2017
The team then identified and got rid of any cases in which electrons or muons were also present, since these could generate photons.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Researchers may have devised a sensitive test for new particles," 14 Aug. 2017
However, measurements at the CERN collider have shown a definite propensity for the mesons to underproduce muons, as reported at CERN in April.

— dennis overbye, New York Times, "Yearning for New Physics at CERN, in a Post-Higgs Way," 19 June 2017
By the time the neutrinos reached the Earth from the sun most had changed from electron neutrinos into muon or tau neutrinos.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "How Neutrinos Shapeshift Like No Other Matter We Know," 15 June 2017
There are three types of neutrino: the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino, and the tau neutrino.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "How Neutrinos Shapeshift Like No Other Matter We Know," 15 June 2017
Over the next few weeks the Muon g-2 team will test the equipment installed around the magnet, which will be storing and measuring muons for the first time in 16 years.

— Aurora Beacon-News, "The search for phantom particles has begun in Batavia using a giant electromagnet," 2 June 2017
Muons are like electrons but heavier – with 200 times the mass.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why this company's scanning technology is a smugglers' nightmare," 3 May 2017
The amount of CP violation once again works like a seesaw, with the rate of muon-to-electron neutrino conversions on one side, and corresponding antineutrino conversions on the other.

— natalie wolchover, WIRED, "New Neutrino Anomaly Hints at a Matter-Antimatter Rift," 31 July 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'muon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.