subatomic particle
Atom's inner component
A subatomic particle is any particle smaller than an atom—the components that make up atoms and the particles produced when atoms collide or decay.
Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the familiar ones, but physicists have discovered dozens more: quarks, neutrinos, bosons, muons.
The Large Hadron Collider detects subatomic particles by tracking their paths through sensors.
Negative subatomic particle
- quarkFundamental matter particle
- leptonFundamental particle without strong interactions
- muonFleeting charged lepton
- neutrinoUncharged, near-massless particle
gluon · boson · fermion · tau · photon · positron · antiparticle · up
Positive nuclear particle
Dual-beam particle accelerator
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
- detectorDevice that senses
- cloud chamberRadiation visualization apparatus
- bubble chamberParticle physics detection vessel
calorimeter · track · mass spectrometer · cyclotron · synchrotron · beam · collision · event
Central controlling part
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- decayGradual organic breakdown
half-life · strong force · isotope · beta decay · alpha decay · gamma ray · nuclear reaction · transmutation
Quantum state's mathematical representation
- superpositionCoexisting in multiple states
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- quantizationConversion to discrete values
spin · chirality · quantum number · tunneling · decoherence · observable · eigenstate
electron
Negative subatomic particle
- quarkFundamental matter particle
- leptonFundamental particle without strong interactions
- muonFleeting charged lepton
neutrino · gluon · boson · fermion · tau · photon · positron · antiparticle · up · down
proton
Positive nuclear particle
collider
Dual-beam particle accelerator
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
- detectorDevice that senses
- cloud chamberRadiation visualization apparatus
bubble chamber · calorimeter · track · mass spectrometer · cyclotron · synchrotron · beam · collision · event · luminosity
nucleus
Central controlling part
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
decay · half-life · strong force · isotope · beta decay · alpha decay · gamma ray · nuclear reaction · transmutation · nucleosynthesis
wavefunction
Quantum state's mathematical representation
- superpositionCoexisting in multiple states
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
quantization · spin · chirality · quantum number · tunneling · decoherence · observable · eigenstate
subatomic particleuniverse
Complete system or domain
galaxy · star · planet · celestial body · supercluster
atomic, particle, particles, subatomic, atomically, atomic structure, atomic mass, atomic number, subatomic particles