tau particle; tauon; tau lepton
Physics term for the heavy lepton with a mass about 3,500 times that of the electron. Used in particle physics contexts.
The tau particle is classified as a lepton, like the electron and muon.
We observed the decay of tau particles in the accelerator experiment.
Standard Japanese term for the tau particle, combining the katakana loanword タウ with the kanji 粒子 (particle).
Variant using the Greek letter τ, common in scientific contexts.
From English 'tau' (from the Greek letter τ) + 粒子 (particle). The tau lepton was discovered in 1975 and named after the Greek word 'τρίτον' (triton, meaning third) because it was the third charged lepton discovered.