noun
(physics) an interaction between elementary particles involving neutrinos or antineutrinos that is responsible for certain kinds of radioactive decay; mediated by intermediate vector bosons
• Syn: ↑weak interaction
• Topics: ↑physics, ↑natural philosophy
• Hypernyms: ↑interaction, ↑fundamental interaction
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noun or weak interaction also weak nuclear force : a fundamental physical force that governs interactions between hadrons and leptons (as in the emission and absorption of neutrinos) and is responsible for particle decay processes (as beta decay) in radioactivity, that is 105 times weaker than the strong force, and that acts over distances smaller than those between nucleons in an atomic nucleus — compare electromagnetism herein gravity herein strong force herein
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Physics.
a force between elementary particles that causes certain processes that take place with low probability, as radioactive beta-decay and collisions between neutrinos and other particles. Also called weak interaction force. Cf. weak interaction.
[1965-70]
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weak interaction or weak force noun (physics)
An interaction between particles complete in about 10−10 seconds, such interactions involving neutrinos and antineutrinos and being responsible for radioactive β-ray decay
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Main Entry: ↑weak
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weak force,
= weak interaction. (Cf. ↑weak interaction)
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one of the four ↑fundamental forces in the universe, which is produced between ↑particles in an atom
Useful english dictionary. 2012.