| Term: | Nucleus |
| Definition: |
In physical meteorology, a particle of any nature upon which molecules of water or ice accumulate as a result of a phase change to a more condensed state. WMOMeteoterm
The positively charged core of an atom about which its electrons orbit. 1. Almost all the mass of an atom resides in its nucleus, the diameter of which is about 10^4 times smaller than that of the atom. The nucleus of an (electrically neutral) atom is made up of protons, equal in number to its electrons, and neutrons bound together by nuclear forces. 2. In physical meteorology, a particle of any nature that initiates a phase transition in an environment supersaturated or supercooled with respect to a phase with lower chemical (Gibbs) potential, for example, a solid or liquid particle or gas/vapor bubble in a supercooled/supersaturated environment. AMSglossary GCW |