Neutron
hideThe neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton.
Neutrons are usually found in atomic nuclei. The nuclei of most atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of protons in a nucleus is the atomic number and defines the type of element the atom forms. The number of neutrons determines the isotope of an element. For example, the carbon-12 isotope has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while the carbon-14 isotope has 6 protons and 8 neutrons.
While bound neutrons in stable nuclei are stable, free neutrons are unstable; they undergo beta decay with a lifetime of just under 15 minutes (885.7 ± 0.8 s). Free neutrons are produced in nuclear fission and fusion. Dedicated neutron sources like research reactors and spallation sources produce free neutrons for the use in irradiation and in neutron scattering experiments.
Even though it is not a chemical element, the free neutron is sometimes included in tables of nuclides. It is then considered to have an atomic number of zero and a mass number of one.
For more information about Neutron, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with neutron
Carbon Atmosphere Discovered on Neutron Star
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Evidence for a thin veil of carbon has been found on the neutron star in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. This discovery, made with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, resolves a ten-year ...
Research sheds new light on neutron stars (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by Michigan State University scientists has shed new light on the properties of neutron stars, galactic oddities that are formed when a large star runs out of fuel and collapses.
Puzzled Physicists Solve Decade-Long Discrepancies
Oct 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by physicists at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have resolved a decade-long puzzle that is set to have huge implications ...
Goddard Visualization Team Previews Lunar Impact
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 08, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- At 7:30 a.m. EDT on October 9, a two-ton rocket body will slam into a crater near the moon's south pole. By studying the resulting plume of gas and dust, scientists hope this grand experiment ...
New analyzers to unlock mineral value
Oct 06, 2009 |
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Scientists are working on a new range of materials characterisation analysers and techniques that could help unlock the value contained in Australia's mineral deposits and improve processing performance, according ...
Spallation Neutron Source first of its kind to reach megawatt power (w/ Podcast)
Sep 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), already the world's most powerful facility for pulsed neutron scattering science, is now the first pulsed spallation neutron source ...
Very High Energy Gamma Rays
Sep 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Gamma-rays are the most energetic known form of electromagnetic radiation, with each gamma ray being at least one hundred thousand times more energetic than an optical light photon. The most ...
New INL project tackles nuclear fuel recycling science
Sep 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new research project at Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory will use an innovative approach to learn how to get more use from nuclear fuel.
Nano-ruler sets some very small marks
Sep 22, 2009 |
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued a new ruler, and even for an organization that routinely deals in superlatives, it sets some records. Designed to be the most accurate commercially available "meter ...
High-School Student Discovers Strange Astronomical Object
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A West Virginia high-school student analyzing data from a giant radio telescope has discovered a new astronomical object -- a strange type of neutron star called a rotating radio transient.
Fermi Large Area Telescope Reveals Pulsing Gamma-Ray Sources
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory Space Science Division and a team of international researchers have positively identified cosmic sources of gamma-ray emissions through the discovery ...
New Vista of Milky Way Center Unveiled
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A dramatic new vista of the center of the Milky Way galaxy from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory exposes new levels of the complexity and intrigue in the Galactic center. The mosaic of ...
Mechanical and nuclear engineers receive award for top-100 technology product of 2009
Sep 17, 2009 |
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A neutron detector created at Kansas State University has been named one of the top 100 technologies of the year.
Fermi Large Area Telescope reveals pulsing gamma-ray sources
Sep 09, 2009 |
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Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Space Science Division and a team of international researchers have positively identified cosmic sources of gamma-ray emissions through the discovery of 16 ...
Magnetic monopoles detected in a real magnet for the first time
Sep 03, 2009 |
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Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre Berlin, in cooperation with colleagues from Dresden, St. Andrews, La Plata and Oxford, have for the first time observed magnetic monopoles and how they emerge in a real ...
