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synchrotron radiation
noun
: radiation emitted by high-energy charged relativistic particles (such as electrons) when they are accelerated by a magnetic field (as in a nebula)
Examples of synchrotron radiation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cosmic Cartography Scientists typically find cosmic magnetic fields by studying synchrotron radiation — radio emissions produced as a magnetic field bends the path of electrons traveling close to the speed of light.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024
Rather than revealing shock waves and hot gas, the JWST images show features arising from the Crab's dust and its synchrotron radiation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
The synchrotron radiation imaging was detailed enough that the species that the trilobite had been eating could be identified.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
Editor’s Note: Yusef-Zadeh explains that these long, vertical filaments turned out to be made of synchrotron radiation, which is produced by particles moving at nearly the speed of light through a magnetic field.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 June 2023
The ions gyrate around the SMBH magnetic field lines, producing synchrotron radiation at many wavelengths.
—science.org, 25 Apr. 2023
Those scientists used synchrotron radiation to zap the samples, causing each element to release a unique X-ray signature that could be detected to identify the sample's composition.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2023
Skin of the teeth Using X-ray tomographic microscopy with laser-like synchrotron radiation, a technique that reveals the internal structure and composition of fossils, Donoghue and his team were able to analyze early conodonts to reveal how their tooth-like spurs evolved.
—Matt Kaplan, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2013
Back in 2008, European scientists used synchrotron radiation to reconstruct the hidden portrait of a peasant woman painted by Van Gogh.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 July 2022
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Word History
Etymology
from its having been first observed in a synchrotron
First Known Use
1956, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of synchrotron radiation was
in 1956
Dictionary Entries Near synchrotron radiation
Cite this Entry
“Synchrotron radiation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synchrotron%20radiation. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on synchrotron radiation
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about synchrotron radiation
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