Neutron beams are streams of electrically neutral subatomic particles found in the nuclei of chemical elements. They have many applications in materials science, medicine, and security. Neutron generators produce neutron beams by firing deuterium or tritium ions at targets. Neutron beams are very penetrating and can detect the positions of atomic nuclei within a material. They can detect hidden explosives or radioactive material and are used in cancer treatment.
A neutron beam is a stream of neutrons, which are subatomic particles that have no electrical charge and are found, along with positively charged protons, in the nuclei of all chemical elements except the most common form of hydrogen, which has only one proton. Although neutrons are stable in the nucleus, a free neutron decays into a proton, an electron, and another particle called an electron antineutrino; isolated neutrons have a half-life of just over 10 minutes, meaning that after this time half the neutrons in any given sample will have decayed. Free neutrons are produced by nuclear fission, for example in a nuclear reactor, and can be generated in particle accelerators. A neutron beam has many important applications in materials science, medicine, and security.
Neutron beams are typically produced using neutron generators, which are particle accelerators that fire deuterium or tritium ions at targets containing deuterium, tritium, or both. Deuterium and tritium are isotopes of hydrogen containing one and two neutrons, respectively. The fusion of deuterium and tritium produces neutrons which can be focused into a neutron beam. Neutron generators of this type can be relatively small and portable.
Although most forms of radiation interact with the electron clouds surrounding atomic nuclei, neutrons, being electrically neutral and not a form of electromagnetic radiation, interact only with nuclei, which are very small compared to the entire atom. A neutron beam is therefore very penetrating and can show the positions of atomic nuclei within a sample of material. Unlike X-rays, neutron beams can easily penetrate heavy metals like lead, but will also interact with light elements like hydrogen and carbon. According to quantum theory, all subatomic particles can behave like waves, so neutrons have wavelengths. This allows you to fine-tune a neutron beam; both the wavelength and energy of the beam can be adjusted to detect specific materials.
The special properties of neutron beams have given rise to a wide range of applications, particularly as an alternative imaging technique that can be employed in situations where X-rays are not effective. They can be used to examine the internal structures of materials, such as detecting cracks and pits in metal components, and to determine the atomic and molecular structures of compounds. Their ability to detect lighter elements but pass through heavier ones allows neutron beams to be used for security checks. For example, they can detect hidden explosives or radioactive material. Neutron beams also have important medical applications, particularly in the treatment of some forms of cancer; neutron radiation therapy can destroy tumors resistant to conventional radiation therapy treatments.
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