metastable

About 0.74 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Of or pertaining to a physical or chemical state that is relatively long-lived, but may decay to a lower energy state when slightly perturbed or through a quantum transition.
2. noun A particle, etc. in the metastable state.

Similar words

unstable transient virtual quasistatic adiabatic quasistationary quantal semileptonic photostationary subthermal

Often followed by

state states phase phases atoms and equilibrium ions level

Word family

metastabilities metastability metastably