neutron meaning: definition, etymology

neutron

noun

UK /ˈn(j)uː.tɹɒn/ · US /ˈnu.tɹɑn/

Etymology From neutral + -on; by surface analysis, neutr(o)- + -on. Coined by Scottish-Australian physicist William Sutherland in 1899 in a paper in the Philosophical Magazine. Subsequent usage was sporadic and theoretical, sometimes referring to neutrinos rather than neutrons, and the modern sense was reintroduced alongside proton by Ernest Rutherford in 1920.

Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Particle A subatomic particle forming part of the nucleus of an atom and having no charge; it is a combination of an up quark and two down quarks.

Derived terms: 38 terms
anti-neutron, antineutron, delayed neutron, dineutron, fast-neutron reactor, free neutron, multineutron, neutron activation analysis, neutron bomb, neutron capture, neutron cross section, neutron-degenerate matter, neutron diffraction, neutron drip line, neutron emission, neutron flux, neutron halo, neutronic, neutronics, neutron interferometer, neutronium, neutronization, neutron matter, neutron moderator, neutron number, neutron optics, neutron poison, neutron-rich, neutron scattering, neutron spectrometry, neutron star, photoneutron, prompt neutron, proto-neutron star, quasineutron, tetraneutron, thermal neutron, trineutron
Related terms: neutrino