J/psi particle
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J/psi particle
- /ˌdʒeɪ ˈsaɪ ˈpɑːtɪkl̩/ UK
- /ˌdʒeɪ ˈsaɪ ˈpɑɹtɪkəl/ US
- /ˌdʒeɪ ˈpsaɪ ˈpɑɹtɪkəl/ US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)tɪkəl
Where it comes from
A compound of J, ψ (ps) (psi), and particle. The particle was discovered independently in 1974 by two research groups, leading to the "November Revolution" in particle physics.
* The group led by Samuel Ting at Brookhaven National Laboratory proposed the name J, reputedly because the shape of the Chinese character for Ting (丁) resembles a J, though Ting also cited the symbol for electromagnetic current, j_μ(x), as a reason.
* The group led by Burton Richter at SLAC proposed the name ψ (psi). Richter initially preferred "SP" (for the SPEAR accelerator), but chose "psi" as it contained "SP" in reverse order and was the only remaining Greek letter deemed suitable; coincidently, the particle's decay pattern in spark chambers resembled the letter ψ.
The compromise name J/ψ was adopted to acknowledge both discoveries.
noun J/ψ particle · J/psi particles · J/ψ meson · J/psi meson · J particle
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A subatomic particle with an unusually long lifetime (7.2 × 10⁻²¹ s) and a large mass (approx. 3.097 GeV/c²); a bound state of a charm quark and an anti-charm quark (the most common form of charmonium).
We report the observation of a heavy particle J, with mass m = 3.1 GeV and width approximately zero.
Similar: J/psi meson, psion
Translations
Talk about this word "J/psi particle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/j%2Fpsi%20particle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. J/psi particle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/j%2Fpsi%20particle "J/psi particle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/j%2Fpsi%20particle.Cite this
@misc{j_psi_particle_2026,
title = {J/psi particle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/j%2Fpsi%20particle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
