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The neutron plays an important role in many nuclear reactions. For example, neutron capture often results in neutron activation, inducing radioactivity. In particular, knowledge of neutrons and their behavior has been important in the development of nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
Neutron radiation is a form of ionizing radiation that presents as free neutrons.Typical phenomena are nuclear fission or nuclear fusion causing the release of free neutrons, which then react with nuclei of other atoms to form new nuclides—which, in turn, may trigger further neutron radiation.
Zooming to RX J1856.5−3754 which is one of the Magnificent Seven and, at a distance of about 400 light-years, the closest-known neutron star. Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of supergiant stars. [1] They are created as a result of supernovas and gravitational collapse, [2] and are the second-smallest and densest class of stellar objects ...
Older and even-cooler neutron stars are still easy to discover. For example, the well-studied neutron star, RX J1856.5−3754, has an average surface temperature of about 434,000 K. [10] For comparison, the Sun has an effective surface temperature of 5,780 K. [11]
At small neutron flux, as in a nuclear reactor, a single neutron is captured by a nucleus. For example, when natural gold (197 Au) is irradiated by neutrons (n), the isotope 198 Au is formed in a highly excited state, and quickly decays to the ground state of 198 Au by the emission of gamma rays (𝛾).
8 He and 14 Be both exhibit a four-neutron halo. Nuclei which have a proton halo include 8 B and 26 P. A two-proton halo is exhibited by 17 Ne and 27 S. Proton halos are expected to be more rare and unstable than the neutron examples, because of the repulsive electromagnetic forces of the halo proton(s).
For example, a neutron, composed of two down quarks and an up quark, decays to a proton composed of a down quark and two up quarks. Electron capture is sometimes included as a type of beta decay, [ 3 ] because the basic nuclear process, mediated by the weak force, is the same.
A neutron in free state is an unstable particle, with a half-life around ten minutes. It undergoes β − decay (a type of radioactive decay) by turning into a proton while emitting an electron and an electron antineutrino. This reaction can occur because the mass of the neutron is slightly greater than that of the proton.