PHOTON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does photon mean? 

• PHOTON (noun)
  The noun PHOTON has 1 sense:

1. a quantum of electromagnetic radiation; an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle

  Familiarity information: PHOTON used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHOTON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quantum of electromagnetic radiation; an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("photon" is a kind of...):

gauge boson (a particle that mediates the interaction of two elementary particles)

Holonyms ("photon" is a part of...):

electromagnetic radiation; electromagnetic wave; nonparticulate radiation (radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge)

 Context examples 

Photon beam radiation therapy is different from proton beam therapy.

(Electron Beam Therapy, NCI Dictionary)

Once the universe became reionzed, photons could travel freely throughout space.

(Most Distant Black Hole, NASA)

In a crystal, such as a diamond, qubits could theoretically be transferred from photons to electrons, which are easier to store.

(Key Tech for Quantum Communications Offered by Implanting Diamonds with Flaws, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The energy difference between the absorbed and emitted photons ends up as molecular vibrations (heat).

(Fluorescence, NCI Thesaurus)

Absorption of a photon of light followed, after a delay, by emission of a photon of longer wavelength.

(Fluorescence, NIH CRISP Thesaurus)

High-energy photons penetrate deeply into tissues to reach tumors while giving less radiation to superficial tissues such as the skin.

(High-energy photon therapy, NCI Dictionary)

A class of dyes when excited by light of certain wavelengths, emit photons and become fluorescent.

(Fluorochrome Dye, NCI Thesaurus)

During this process, the excited nucleus emits a photon with very high energy, which we observe as a gamma ray.

(Stellar Corpse Reveals Origin of Radioactive Molecules, ESO)

"Longer wavelengths of light are needed for bioimaging because they can penetrate farther into tissues than visible wavelength photons," said Northwestern's Teri Odom, who co-led the research.

(Tiny, biocompatible laser could function inside living tissues, National Science Foundation)

Phototransduction is a biochemical process by which the photoreceptor cells generate electrical signals in response to captured photons.

(Phototransduction Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)