Kurzreichende

Kurzreichende is a German attributive adjective used to describe phenomena, interactions or effects that extend only over a short distance or have a limited spatial influence. In scientific contexts it is often paired with nouns referring to forces, interactions or processes, to distinguish them from long-range counterparts.

In physics and chemistry the term is commonly applied to indicate short-range interactions. Examples include short-range nuclear forces that act effectively only at sub-femtometer distances, or short-range van der Waals forces that become negligible beyond a few nanometers. The expression kurzreichende Wechselwirkung (short-range interaction) contrasts with langreichende Wechselwirkungen (long-range interactions). The descriptor may also apply to processes, signals or excitations whose effects diminish rapidly with distance, such as kurzreichende Kopplungen in some many-body systems or kurzreichende Transporte in disordered materials.

Morphology and usage: kurzreichende is the attributive feminine singular form used with feminine nouns (for example, eine kurzreichende Wechselwirkung). Other inflected forms depend on gender, case and number, for instance kurzreichender (masculine nominative), kurzreichendes (neuter nominative), and kurzreichende (plural nominative). The base adjective is related to the notion of “kurz” (short) and “reichend” (reaching/extending), conveying a limited reach rather than duration.

Relation to other terms: the concept is often discussed alongside long-range (langreichende) phenomena to describe spatial scaling in theories and models. While common in technical literature, kurzreichende remains specialized terminology and is less typical outside scientific or engineering contexts.