Hyperon (Noun)
Meaning
Any baryon that is not a nucleon; unstable particle with mass greater than a neutron.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- Hyperons are typically produced in high-energy particle interactions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators.
- The hyperon Σ+ has a relatively long lifetime compared to other hyperons, decaying in about 8 x 10^-20 seconds.
- One of the most well-known hyperons is the Lambda baryon, which has a mass about 0.2 GeV greater than a neutron.
- Theoretical models predict that hyperons have unique properties due to the presence of strange quarks in their composition.
- In a neutron star collision, a large number of hyperons are formed, which affects the subsequent behavior of the remnant star.