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particle
(redirected from alpha particle)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
particle noun atom, bit, component part, crumb, cutting, fragment, grain, granule, hint, mite, modicum, moiety, molecule, morsel, piece, pittance, point, scintilla, snippet, speck, spot, suggestion, trace
See also: constituent, element, iota, minimum, modicum, part, portion, scintilla


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Occasionally, they are the result of electrical charges from either neutrons from cosmic rays or alpha particles emitted by the breakdown of radioactive materials.
These progeny emit alpha particles (sub-atomic particles with mass and energy), which can strike lung cells and cause physical and/or chemical damage to DNA.
Whenever an alpha particle is detected, it corresponds to the decay of a single atom and this extreme sensitivity means that the analytical scientist can detect very small amounts of polonium-210, enabling the tracing of the route of the poisoning.
 
 
 
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