Aitken nucleus
noun
Ait·ken nucleus
| \ ˈāt-kən-
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Definition of Aitken nucleus
meteorology
: a microscopic aerosol particle in the atmosphere that encourages condensation to gather into a droplet
Using air samples collected from a 65-foot tower in a eucalyptus forest in Portugal, the researchers found an abundance of tiny aerosols, known as Aitken nuclei, that could only have been produced locally.— Henry Fountain, New York Times, 3 Nov. 1998
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