weakly interacting massive particle
English
editNoun
editweakly interacting massive particle (plural weakly interacting massive particles)
- (astronomy, physics) A hypothetical class of particle, proposed to explain the dark matter problem.
Usage notes
editThere are two definitions for WIMPs, one where "weakly interacting" signifies weak nuclear force, a fundamental force of nature, and the other where "weakly interacting" signifies low strength interaction with normal matter such as only interacting through gravitational force.
Synonyms
edit- WIMP (abbreviation)
Hypernyms
editCoordinate terms
edit- strongly interacting massive particle (SIMP)
- robust associations of massive baryonic objects (RAMBO)
- massive compact halo object (MACHO)
Derived terms
editTranslations
edithypothetical class of particle
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