muon

noun mu·on \ ˈmyü-ˌän \

Updated on: 21 Mar 2018

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

Using robotic probes and 3-D imaging with muons (a type of subatomic particle), workers have found pebbly deposits and debris at various areas inside the primary containment vessels in the three of the plant’s reactor units.

— tim hornyak, Scientific American, "Clearing the Radioactive Rubble Heap That Was Fukushima Daiichi, 7 Years On," 9 Mar. 2018
That's because it was found using muon radiography, a type of imaging that uses subatomic particles to peer through walls or solid structures.

— National Geographic, "Unsolved Science Mysteries From 2017," 18 Dec. 2017
To look for such chambers Dr Morishima and his colleagues deployed three sorts of muon detector in various places in and around the pyramid.

— The Economist, "EgyptologyA new chamber has been detected in the Great Pyramid of Giza," 4 Nov. 2017
When muons hit solid objects like bricks, their paths are slightly diverted.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "Scientists confirm there’s a mysterious “void” in the Great Pyramid," 2 Nov. 2017
The group applied a physics technique that allowed them to track particles called muons, which come from cosmic rays striking atoms in the upper atmosphere.

— cassandra santiago and sarah el sirgany, CNN, "Scientists discover mysterious 'void' in Great Pyramid of Giza," 2 Nov. 2017
Each minute, muons rocket through your skull by the hundreds.

— ben guarino, Alaska Dispatch News, "Cosmic rays reveal mysterious void in Egypt’s Great Pyramid," 3 Nov. 2017
Think of muon detection as akin to taking an X-ray.

— maya wei-haas, Smithsonian, "How Researchers Uncovered a Massive Void In The Great Pyramid of Giza," 3 Nov. 2017
One of the first times scientists used muon imaging was to search for hidden chambers in Khafre’s pyramid at Giza in the late 1960s.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Cosmic rays reveal unknown void in the Great Pyramid of Giza," 2 Nov. 2017

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.