Shed (physics)

A shed is a non-SI unit of area or cross-section used in nuclear physics. One shed is defined as being equal to 10⁻²⁴ barn, an extraordinarily small unit of area. As the unit is so small, it has only had minimal use. It was used when studying the neutrino, and other such sub-atomic particles. The term never gained wide acceptance though. The name was derived by analogy with the barn."Shed." "The Oxford English Dictionay". 2nd ed. 1989.] It is the smallest unit of measurement used in sub-atomic physics. [cite book|last=Green|first=Jonathon|title=Dictionary of Jargon|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=P0QOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA487&dq=barn,+unit+of+area+nuclear+shed&client=opera&sig=96KZVsUS-RJkJMuD49caCCkoED8|accessdate=2008-05-11|year=1987|month=December|publisher=Routledge Kegan & Paul|isbn=0710099193|pages=p.487]

A shed is to a barn as a barn is to a square centimeter (a barn is 10^-24 square centimeters).

1 shed = 10⁻²⁴ barn (b) = 10⁻⁴⁸ square centimeters (cm²) = 10⁻²² square femtometers (fm²) = 10⁻⁵² square meters (m²)

References

ee also

* outhouse
* List of unusual units of measurement

External links

*http://www.dataenabled.com/nuclearglossary/abcs/nuclearglossary_S.html#shed