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842 terms · page 22 of 36
Neutral Beam Injection (NBI)
A primary plasma heating and current drive method where high-energy neutral atom beams are injected into a magnetic confinement fusion…
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNeutrino
An extremely light, electrically neutral spin-1/2 elementary lepton that interacts almost exclusively via the weak nuclear force.
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNeutrino Oscillations
A quantum mechanical phenomenon in which a neutrino created with a specific lepton flavor changes flavor as it propagates through space.
Astrophysics, Cosmology & RelativityNeutron Star
An ultradense stellar core remnant produced by the core-collapse supernova explosion of a massive star, composed almost entirely of…
Classical MechanicsNewton's First Law
The principle that an object remains at rest or continues in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force.
OpticsNewton's Rings
An interference pattern of concentric bright and dark rings formed by an air film enclosed between a plano-convex lens and a flat glass…
Classical MechanicsNewton's Second Law
The law stating that net force acting on a body equals the rate of change of its linear momentum, simplified to mass times acceleration for…
Classical MechanicsNewton's Third Law
The law stating that whenever two objects interact, they exert forces on each other that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsNodes & Antinodes
Specific fixed positions on a standing wave where displacement amplitude is zero (nodes) or maximum (antinodes).
Classical MechanicsNon-conservative Force
A force for which work done depends on the specific path taken, dissipating mechanical energy into heat, sound, or internal energy.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsNon-linear Oscillations
Oscillatory systems where restoring forces do not obey linear Hooke's law, leading to amplitude-dependent frequency and chaotic behavior.
Plasma PhysicsNon-Neutral Plasma
A plasma composed exclusively of a single species of charged particles (electrons, positrons, or single ions) without background charge…
Condensed Matter & Materials PhysicsNon-Newtonian Fluids
Fluids whose shear viscosity changes depending on applied shear rate, stress magnitude, or shear history.
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsNonlinear Dynamics
The study of physical systems governed by non-linear equations where output changes are not directly proportional to input changes.
Classical MechanicsNormal Force
The perpendicular contact force exerted by a surface on an object pressing against it.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsNormal Modes
Characteristic independent natural patterns of motion in which all parts of an oscillating system move sinusoidally at the same natural…
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Binding Energy
The minimum energy required to completely disassemble an atomic nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons.
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Fission
A nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits into two or more smaller daughter nuclei accompanied by the release of neutrons and…
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Fusion
A nuclear reaction in which two light atomic nuclei collide and combine to form a single heavier nucleus, releasing vast amounts of energy.
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Reactor
An engineered facility in which a controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is maintained to generate thermal energy for electrical…
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Shell Model
A quantum nuclear model describing nuclear energy levels in terms of individual nucleons moving inside a central potential well with strong…
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsNuclear Stability
A measure of a nuclide's resistance to spontaneous radioactive decay, determined by the balance between nuclear strong attraction and…
Foundations of PhysicsNull Vector
A vector having zero magnitude and an arbitrary or indeterminate direction.
Mathematical & Computational PhysicsNumerical Linear Algebra
The subfield of numerical analysis studying algorithms for performing matrix operations efficiently and accurately on digital computers.