supermultipletn.
/ˈsuːpəˌmʌltᵻplᵻt/, /ˈsjuːpəˌmʌltᵻplᵻt/, U.S. /ˈsupərˌməltəplᵻt/ Physics.
1. A group of transitions in an atomic spectrum between terms of different multiplicity, in which all of the transitions involve the same change in the orbital quantum number l of an electron from the same initial value. Cf. multiplet n. 2a.
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supermultiplet1927
1927 H. N. Russell & W. F. Meggers in Sci. Papers Bureau of Standards (U.S.) 20 331 The five terms first mentioned are evidently closely related, and their combinations with the triad 3P, 3D′, 3F can be arranged in the form of a ‘supermultiplet’.
1935 E. U. Condon & G. H. Shortley Theory Atomic Spectra ix. 245 The set of all lines arising in transitions between two polyads..having the same parent configuration is known as a supermultiplet.
1972 I. I. Sobel'man Introd. Theory Atomic Spectra xxxi. 313 By summing eqn. (31.48) over all transitions J → J′ within the given multiplet we obtain the line strength of this multiplet... Summing over LL′..gives the line strength of the supermultiplet.
2003 L. J. Curtis Atomic Struct. & Lifetimes v. 92 The set of transitions between two polyads is a supermultiplet.
2. A multiplet (multiplet n. 2b) comprising particles of different hypercharge as well as those of different charge.
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supermultiplet1941
1941 E. P. Wigner & E. Feenberg in Rep. Progress Physics 8 284 The Λ᾽s will not be mentioned any more in this article, the P's will be called partition quantum numbers. They characterize a supermultiplet in the same way as the single quantum number S characterizes a multiplet of spectroscopy.
1952 Ann. Rev. Nucl. Sci. 1 44 The two states belong to the same supermultiplet (in this case a single charge multiplet with S = 1/ 2 and T = 1/ 2).
1972 G. L. Wick Elem. Particles v. 82 They thought that all these particles might belong to a larger multiplet, or supermultiplet, which connects both different isotopic spin and different strangeness.
2007 C. P. Burgess & G. D. Moore Standard Model xi. 449 It is essential for this cancellation that the bosons and fermions within any supermultiplet share the same masses.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1927