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axion

[ ak-see-on ]

noun

, Physics.
  1. a hypothetical particle having no charge, zero spin, and small mass: postulated in some forms of quantum chromodynamics.


axion

/ ˈæksɪˌon /

noun

  1. physics a hypothetical neutral elementary particle postulated to account for certain conservation laws in the strong interaction


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Word History and Origins

Origin of axion1

1978; perhaps axi(al current) + -on 1

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Word History and Origins

Origin of axion1

C20: from axi ( om ) + -on

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Example Sentences

The case for dark matter has become much stronger, and axions have become much more popular.

In subsequent years I was able to spin off one successful application of those ideas after another — or do other creative things like axions, though that was much later.

John Preskill, Mark Wise and I worked this out and discovered that in fact lots of axions get left over, and that they would have just the right properties to supply the “dark matter” that cosmologists seem to need.

Well, axions were a very different kind of particle, quite different from anything before.

Most importantly, if the sun creates axions, then all stars do.

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axiom of countabilityaxis