sextupoleadj.n.
/ˈsɛkstjuːpəʊl/, /ˈsɛkstʃuːpəʊl/, U.S. /ˈsɛkstəˌpoʊl/ Physics.
A. adj.
1. Relating to or involving a multipole (multipole n.) of order 3; = octupole adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > quantum mechanics > quantum electrodynamics > [adjective] > relating to specific moments
quadrupole1922
quadripole1927
multipole1929
octopole1932
monopolar1948
sextupole1950
octupole1954
monopole1962
hexadecapole1969
1950 Rep. Progr. Physics 13 104 For both iron and nickel the sextupole part of K4 is considerably greater than the quadrupole part.
1992 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 437 141 (caption) The growth of the flow of gravitational energy through the star..(a) for quadrupole (l = 2) waves; and (b) for sextupole (l = 3) waves.
2. Having six magnetic poles, three of each polarity; produced by or characteristic of such a magnet.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic physics > particle physics > particle accelerator > [adjective] > having specific number of poles
quadripolar1921
quadrupolar1942
quadrupole1955
sextupole1958
1958 Science 5 Dec. 1401/2 Figure 10 shows the position of pickup electrodes and quadrupole and sextupole magnets in each superperiod.
1979 Sci. Amer. May 64/1 The atoms emerge from a nozzle as a low-energy beam, then pass into the strongly nonuniform field of a sextupole, or six-pole, magnet.
2000 J. McFall tr. K. Wille Physics of Particle Accelerators iii. 123 Particles with nominal momentum p0 but large oscillation amplitudes will thus be deflected by the sextupole fields.
B. n.
A sextupole magnet.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > quantum mechanics > quantum electrodynamics > [noun] > single charge or pole > system of > sextupole device
sextupole1963
1963 Nucl. Instr. & Methods 20 25/2 I was interested in the correction by the sextupole of the chromatic aberrations.
1976 Physics Bull. Nov. 499/2 Extra dipoles, sextupoles and octupoles act as correcting magnets in case of defects in the magnet lattice and for superfine control.
2000 Rep. Progr. Physics 63 954 Such strongly excited sextupoles can modify the nonlinear dynamics of the machine.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.n.1950