Bevatron

/ˈbɛvəˌtɹɑn/ noun

Definition

A type of particle accelerator that speeds up electrons to very high energies for use in physics experiments.

Etymology

Formed in the 1950s from 'bev' (short for billion electron volts, a unit of energy) combined with '-tron' (a suffix used for electronic machines). Scientists created this word to describe the machine's function of accelerating particles to billion-electron-volt energies.

Kelly Says

The bevatron discovered the antiproton in 1955—one of physics' biggest moments! This machine literally revealed that antimatter particles really exist, proving Einstein's equations right. Its name is basically scientific shorthand that became a real word.

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