Leptogenesis
/ˌlɛptoʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/noun
A hypothetical process in cosmology in which an excess of leptons over antileptons is created in the early universe.
Did you know?The word is a modern scientific coinage built from Greek roots, and its ending -genesis means “birth” or “coming into being,” the same root behind many creation words.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
lēptós
“thin, fine, small”
Ancient Greek
Greek
génesis
“origin, birth, creation”
19th Century
English
-genesis
“a process of coming into being or origin”
20th Century
English
lepton
“a light, low-mass particle”
Late 20th Century
English
leptogenesis
“the proposed generation of a lepton asymmetry in the early universe”