| alpha particle n. A positively charged particle, indistinguishable from a helium atom nucleus and consisting of two protons and two neutrons. |
alpha particle
n
(Physics / General Physics) a helium-4 nucleus, containing two neutrons and two protons, emitted during some radioactive transformations
| alpha particle A positively charged particle that consists of two protons and two neutrons bound together. It is emitted by an atomic nucleus undergoing radioactive decay and is identical to the nucleus of a helium atom. Because of their relatively large mass, alpha particles are the slowest and least penetrating forms of nuclear radiation. They can be stopped by a piece of paper. See more at radioactive decay. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  alpha particle - a positively charged particle that is the nucleus of the helium atom; emitted from natural or radioactive isotopessubatomic particle, particle - a body having finite mass and internal structure but negligible dimensions |
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