of or concerned with a nuclear reaction caused by a photon
photonuclear in American English
(ˌfoutouˈnuːkliər, -ˈnjuː-, or, by metathesis -kjələr)
adjective
Physics
of, pertaining to, or caused by the collision of high-energy photons with the nucleus of an atom
Word origin
[1940–45; photo- + nuclear]This word is first recorded in the period 1940–45. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: blockbuster, set-aside, silkscreen, update, whiteoutphoto- is a combining form meaning “light” (photobiology); also used to represent “photographic” or “photograph” in the formation of compoundwords. Other words that use the affix photo- include: photogen, photogravure, photolithography, photomultiplier, photopathy