mirror symmetry
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˈmɪrər ˈsɪmɪtri/
- Specialized
:
simetría especular
- Yeah, the mirror symmetry of a magnetic field.
Examples
-
In physics, mirror symmetry suggests that the laws governing a system remain unchanged if we swap left and right.
-
Dark matter is believed to be five times more massive than ordinary matter, and such parallel interchanging mirror particles violate mirror symmetry laws.
Blog text (26) -
This requirement coincided with the need for an empty bay next to both of the nave-side retrochapels of the transept in order to maintain a spatial mirror symmetry with the opposite chapels flanking the choir.
Academic text (2015) -
The concept of mirror symmetry helps scientists understand why certain particles behave the same when reflected.
-
Many physicists study mirror symmetry to explore how different physical phenomena can appear identical when viewed in a mirror.
Synonyms
1
9.8
Whether a physical system behaves the same after a mirror reflection
Physical laws do not change when left and right are swapped
How Symmetric
- Specialized
1
7.9
19
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'mirror' specifies the type of 'symmetry' (i.e. invariance under left–right reflection), so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's sense. This construction is cross-linguistically common (often 'reflection' or 'mirror symmetry' in other languages) and follows transparent modifier + noun patterns, making it understandable at B1 if the constituents are known.
Etymology
Mirror symmetry comes from the picture a mirror makes: a mirror swaps 'left' and 'right' but a symmetry means the object looks the same after that flip. So the term describes a property where a shape or system stays 'unchanged' when left and right are swapped.