Neutron capture

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Neutron Capture

Neutron capture (/ˈnjuːtrɒn kæpˈtʃʊər/) is a nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus absorbs a neutron and gains an additional neutron. This process leads to the creation of a heavier isotope of the chemical element involved.

Etymology

The term "neutron capture" is derived from the English words "neutron", which is a subatomic particle carrying no net electric charge, and "capture", which refers to the act of catching or gaining control over something. The term accurately describes the process where a neutron is "captured" by an atomic nucleus.

Process

In neutron capture, a neutron collides with a target nucleus and is absorbed. The resulting compound nucleus may be in an excited state, and it can decay to a more stable state by the emission of a gamma ray. This process is called radiative capture.

Neutron capture plays an important role in the s-process (slow neutron capture process) and r-process (rapid neutron capture process), both of which are responsible for the synthesis of heavy elements in stars.

Related Terms

  • Nuclear reaction: A process in which two atomic nuclei, or a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce one or more nuclides that are different from the nuclide that began the process.
  • Neutron: A subatomic particle of about the same mass as a proton but without an electric charge, present in all atomic nuclei except those of ordinary hydrogen.
  • Gamma ray: Penetrating electromagnetic radiation of a kind arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei.
  • s-process: A nucleosynthesis process that occurs at relatively low neutron densities in stars.
  • r-process: A nucleosynthesis process, likely occurring in supernova explosions, in which nuclear reactions with high neutron densities combine to create new atomic nuclei.

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