photodisintegration

pho·to·dis·in·te·gra·tion

[foh-toh-di-sin-ti-grey-shuhn]
noun Physics.
the disintegration of a nucleus, induced by its absorption of a photon.

Origin:
1930–35; photo- + disintegration

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World English Dictionary
photodisintegration (ˌfəʊtəʊdɪˌsɪntɪˈɡreɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
disintegration of an atomic nucleus as a result of its absorption of a photon, usually a gamma ray

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Photodisintegration has a plethora of syllables.
So is floccinaucinihilipilification. Does it mean:
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).
given to using long words.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

photodisintegration

in physics, nuclear reaction in which the absorption of high-energy electromagnetic radiation (a gamma-ray photon) causes the absorbing nucleus to change to another species by ejecting a subatomic particle, such as a proton, neutron, or alpha particle. For example, magnesium-25, upon absorbing a photon of sufficient energy, emits a proton and becomes sodium-24. Photodisintegration differs from the nuclear reaction photofission, in which a nucleus, upon absorbing a photon, splits into two fragments of nearly equal mass

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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