準じゅん安あん定てい

noun, na-adjective

metastable; metastability

Technical term in physics and chemistry describing a state that is stable under small disturbances but not at the lowest possible energy; can transition to a more stable state with sufficient perturbation.

• 準じゅん安あん定てい状じょう態たいにある原げん子しは、わずかな刺し激げきでより低ひくいエネルギー状じょう態たいに遷せん移いする。

  An atom in a metastable state transitions to a lower energy state with a slight stimulus.

• この合ごう金きんは室しつ温おんでは準じゅん安あん定てい相そうをとる。

  This alloy takes a metastable phase at room temperature.