An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

Unusual, not expected, extraordinary. → strange particle.

M.E., from O.Fr. estrange "foreign, alien," from L. extraneus "foreign, external," from extra "outside of," → extra-.

Šegeft, from Mid.Pers. škaft, škift, škuft "strange, wonderful, amazing;" Av. skapta- "wonderful."

An elementary particle created in high-energy particle collisions having a short life and a strangeness quantum number of 1. For example, sigma and xi baryons are strange particles. A strange particle is produced when a strange quark is created in a high-energy collision. → strangeness.

→ strange; the concept of "strange" arose from the observation that these particles decay rapidly, in contrast to others that do not. → particle.

A quantum number used to describe certain short-lived particles. It is defined as the number of strange anti-quarks minus the number of strange quarks in a particle. Strangeness is conserved in any strong and electromagnetic interaction, but not in weak interactions.

Strangeness, the quality or condition of being → strange.