Barn (unit)

A barn (symbol b) is a unit of area. Originally used in nuclear physics for expressing the cross sectional area of nuclei and nuclear reactions, today it is also used in all fields of high-energy physics to express the cross sections of any scattering process, and is best understood as a measure of the probability of interaction between small particles. A barn is defined as 10⁻²⁸ m² (100 fm²) and is approximately the cross-sectional area of a uranium nucleus. The barn is also the unit of area used in nuclear quadrupole resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance to quantify the interaction of a nucleus with an electric field gradient. While the barn is not an SI unit, the SI standards body accepts its use with SI units due to its continued use in particle physics.

Etymology

The etymology of the unit barn is whimsical: during wartime research on the atomic bomb, American physicists at Purdue University needed a secretive unit to describe the approximate cross sectional area presented by the typical nucleus (10⁻²⁸ m²) and decided on "barn." This was particularly applicable because they considered this a large target for particle accelerators that needed to have direct strikes on nuclei and the American idiom "couldn't hit the broad side of a barn" refers to someone whose aim is terrible. Initially they hoped the name would obscure any reference to the study of nuclear structure; eventually, the word became a standard unit in nuclear and particle physics.

Shed

A shed, outhouse, outbuilding or shack, is typically a simple, single-storey roofed structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop.

Sheds vary considerably in the complexity of their construction and their size, from small open-sided tin-roofed structures to large wood-framed sheds with shingled roofs, windows, and electrical outlets. Sheds used on farms or in industry can be large structures. The main types of shed construction are metal sheathing over a metal frame, plastic sheathing and frame, all-wood construction, and vinyl-sided sheds built over a wooden frame.

A culture of shed enthusiasts exists in several countries. In Australia and New Zealand there are magazines called The Shed, an association for shed enthusiasts (the Australian Men's Shed Association), and a book entitled Men and Sheds.

Types

Small domestic sheds

The simplest and least-expensive sheds are available in kit form. Both shed kits and "do-it-yourself" plans are available for wooden and plastic sheds. Sheds are used to store home and garden tools and equipment such as lawn tractors, and gardening supplies. In addition, sheds can be used to store items that are not suitable for indoor storage, such as petrol (gasoline), pesticides, or herbicides.

Shed (disambiguation)

A shed is a simple, single-story, non-residential structure.

Shed, The Shed, or Shedding may also refer to:

As a verb

In arts, entertainment, and media

In games

In literature and publications

Shed (album)

Shed is the debut studio album by American rock band Title Fight. It was released on May 3, 2011, through SideOneDummy Records. It received positive reviews, garnering an 81 on review aggregator Metacritic. It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

Track listing

All songs written by Title Fight

Personnel

Photography: Manny Mares and Nathan Congleton

References