ScienceAugust 16, 2026

kaon

KAY-on

Definition

A specific type of subatomic particle composed of one quark and one antiquark, belonging to the larger family of hadrons.

Etymology

The word is a portmanteau derived from 'K-meson'; the 'K' was replaced by the Greek letter kappa, resulting in the suffix '-on' often used for subatomic particles.

In the news

The article focuses on the mysterious decay of kaons, noting that rare, unexplained decay patterns may indicate the existence of new particles or forces beyond current physical models.

Something Weird Happened That We Can’t Really Explain With Existing Physics

Read the full article ↗

Popular Mechanics

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