spallation

noun

spall·​ation spȯ-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce spallation (audio)
1
: a nuclear reaction in which light particles are ejected as the result of bombardment (as by high-energy protons)
2
: the process of spalling

Examples of spallation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Those protons smashing and staying put creates the right kind of actinium through a process called spallation. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 In a process called spallation, high-energy cosmic rays from exploding stars can ram into interstellar gas particles, says Pierre Salati, a particle astrophysicist at the Annecy-le-Vieux Particle Physics Laboratory, who worked on Poulin’s 2019 study. Leto Sapunar, Scientific American, 7 June 2021 Are there a sufficient number of meteorites slamming into planets to launch life-seeding rocks through space (a.k.a. cause spallation)? Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spallation was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near spallation

Cite this Entry

“Spallation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spallation. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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