decay

decay

The reduction of strength of a signal or charge.

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decay

1. decomposition, as of vegetable matter

2. rotten or decayed matter

3. Physics

a. See radioactive decay

b. a spontaneous transformation of an elementary particle into two or more different particles

c. of an excited atom or molecule, losing energy by the spontaneous emission of photons

4. Physics a gradual decrease of a stored charge, magnetic flux, current, etc., when the source of energy has been removed

5. Music the fading away of a note

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decay [di′kā]

(geochemistry)

chemical weathering

(materials)

To undergo decomposition.

(nuclear physics)

radioactive decay

(oceanography)

In ocean-wave studies, the loss of energy from wind-generated ocean waves after they have ceased to be acted on by the wind; this process is accompanied by an increase in length and a decrease in height of the wave.

(physics)

Gradual reduction in the magnitude of a quantity, as of current, magnetic flux, a stored charge, or phosphorescence.

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decay - [Nuclear physics] An automatic conversion which is applied to most array-valued expressions in C; they "decay into" pointer-valued expressions pointing to the array's first element. This term is not used in the official standard for the language.