metastable
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌmɛtəˈsteɪbəl/
- Specialized
:
metastable
- The gamma radiation triggers a metastable decay in the flubber itself.
- metastable state
Examples
-
Supersolid motion could be manifested as a metastable persistent flow or as a genuine equilibrium phenomenon sometimes called nonclassical rotational inertia.
Academic text (2004) -
The "m" after the mass number denotes a metastable state—that is, a long-lived isomer.
Academic text (2006) -
But close to the transition, a metastable state could be produced that would be odd under both P and CP.
Academic text (1999) -
And that is why these metastable states are feasible in practicing experimentally.
-
lt's a metastable compound, Sara.
-
We observed long-lived metastable structures that could tunnel through each other and reach the equilibrium configuration.
Academic text (1999) -
Work in potassium, cesium, chromium, strontium, metastable neon, and helium is underway.
Academic text (1999) -
The structure of the substance is metastable, remaining unchanged until it is subjected to external pressure.
-
In the lab, we discovered a metastable state that persists for a long time before transitioning to a more stable form.
-
When you heat the material, it enters a metastable phase that can revert back to its original state if cooled quickly.
Synonyms
Easily changed by small outside forces
How Stable
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Metastable comes from meta- meaning 'after' or 'beyond' and stable meaning 'firm' or 'not changing'. Think of a ball in a shallow dip on a hill: it looks steady now but a small push can send it rolling to a lower, more stable place, so metastable means 'stable for the moment but likely to change'.