subatomic
Smaller than atoms
Subatomic describes anything smaller than an atom or occurring within atoms.
Subatomic particles—electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks—are the building blocks of matter at scales below atomic structure.
The term appears in physics contexts: subatomic physics, subatomic realm.
Figuratively, it can suggest something vanishingly small or imperceptibly fine-grained.
Fundamental matter particle
- leptonFundamental particle without strong interactions
- bosonInteger-spin subatomic particle
- fermionHalf-integer spin particle
- gluonStrong force mediator
meson · baryon · hadron · muon · tau · neutrino · antineutrino · photon
Positive nuclear particle
- neutronUncharged nuclear particle
- electronNegative subatomic particle
- nucleusCentral controlling part
- nucleonProton or neutron
orbital · shell · spin · charge · mass · antimatter · isotope · ion
Dual-beam particle accelerator
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
- cyclotronSpiral-path particle accelerator
- synchrotronCircular charged-particle accelerator
- detectorDevice that senses
Nuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
- radioactivitySpontaneous nuclear decay
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
Quantum state's mathematical representation
- superpositionCoexisting in multiple states
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
quantization · coherence · decoherence · spin · Heisenberg · Schrödinger
Bosons mirror fermions theoretically
- symmetry-breakingLoss of balanced equivalence
- parityState of being equal
quark
Fundamental matter particle
- leptonFundamental particle without strong interactions
- bosonInteger-spin subatomic particle
- fermionHalf-integer spin particle
gluon · meson · baryon · hadron · muon · tau · neutrino · antineutrino · photon · positron
proton
Positive nuclear particle
nucleon · orbital · shell · spin · charge · mass · antimatter · isotope · ion · valence
collider
Dual-beam particle accelerator
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
- cyclotronSpiral-path particle accelerator
- synchrotronCircular charged-particle accelerator
detector · spectrometer · collision · track · calorimeter
fission
Nuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
- radioactivitySpontaneous nuclear decay
- decayGradual organic breakdown
wavefunction
Quantum state's mathematical representation
- superpositionCoexisting in multiple states
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
tunneling · quantization · coherence · decoherence · spin · Heisenberg · Schrödinger
supersymmetry
Bosons mirror fermions theoretically
- symmetry-breakingLoss of balanced equivalence
- parityState of being equal
- "Sub-" wordssubway, submarine, subtract, subject, suburb
- smallnesssmall, little, tiny, mini, miniature
- atomic physicselectron, neutron, proton, nucleus, electrons
- atomic scienceelectron, proton, neutron, nucleus, element
- spatial scalesmicroscopic, macroscopic, nanoscale, molecular, cellular
- scalesweight, measure, balance, balance scale, digital scale
subatomicmacroscopic
Visible to naked eye
cosmic · astronomical · massive · enormous · large
- subatomic particlesComponents smaller than atoms