synchrotron radiation

noun

: radiation emitted by high-energy charged relativistic particles (such as electrons) when they are accelerated by a magnetic field (as in a nebula)

Examples of synchrotron radiation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Editor’s Note: Yusef-Zadeh explains that these long, vertical filaments turned out to be made of synchrotron radiation, which is produced by particles moving at nearly the speed of light through a magnetic field. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 June 2023 The ions gyrate around the SMBH magnetic field lines, producing synchrotron radiation at many wavelengths. science.org, 25 Apr. 2023 Those scientists used synchrotron radiation to zap the samples, causing each element to release a unique X-ray signature that could be detected to identify the sample's composition. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2023 Skin of the teeth Using X-ray tomographic microscopy with laser-like synchrotron radiation, a technique that reveals the internal structure and composition of fossils, Donoghue and his team were able to analyze early conodonts to reveal how their tooth-like spurs evolved. Matt Kaplan, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2013 Back in 2008, European scientists used synchrotron radiation to reconstruct the hidden portrait of a peasant woman painted by Van Gogh. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 July 2022 The synchrotron radiation excites the atoms on the canvas, which then emit X-rays of their own that a fluorescence detector can pick up. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 July 2022 The astronomers were specifically looking at a type of radio emission called synchrotron radiation. Mara Johnson-Groh, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2019 The researchers were able to scan the intact samples using neutron beams and synchrotron radiation. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synchrotron radiation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from its having been first observed in a synchrotron

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of synchrotron radiation was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near synchrotron radiation

Cite this Entry

“Synchrotron radiation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synchrotron%20radiation. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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