neutron
Sign in to saveA neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , that has no electric charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. The neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, leading to the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938, the first self-sustaining nuclear reactor (Chicago Pile-1, 1942), and the first nuclear weapon (Trinity, 1945).
AI overview
A neutron is a tiny particle with no electric charge that is slightly heavier than a proton and makes up part of an atom's nucleus. Neutrons matter because their discovery in 1932 led to major developments including nuclear fission, the first nuclear reactor, and nuclear weapons.
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Key facts
- Particle.classification
- Baryon
- Particle.name
- Neutron
- Particle.image
- 250px
- Particle.caption
- The quark content of a neutron. The color assignment of individual quarks is arbitrary, but all three colors must be present. Forces between quarks are mediated by gluons.
- Particle.group
- Hadron
- Particle.composition
- 1 up quark, 2 down quarks
- Particle.statistics
- Fermionic
- Particle.interaction
- Gravity, weak, strong, electromagnetic
- Particle.antiparticle
- Antineutron
- Particle.theorized
- Ernest Rutherford (1920)
- Particle.discovered
- James Chadwick (1932)
- Particle.symbol
Article
31 sectionsContents
- Discovery
- Occurrence
- Atomic nucleus
- Free neutron
- Dineutrons and tetraneutrons
- Neutron stars and neutron matter
- Composition
- Beta decay
- Properties
- Mass
- Spin
- Magnetic moment
- Electric charge
- Electric dipole moment
- Antineutron
- Detection
- Neutron detection by neutron capture
- Neutron detection by elastic scattering
- Sources and production
- Neutron beams and modification of beams after production
- Applications
- Nuclear energy
- Other uses
- Medical therapies
- Health risks
- Neutron temperature
- See also
- Neutron sources
- Processes involving neutrons
- References
- Further reading
A neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , that has no electric charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. The neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, leading to the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938, the first self-sustaining nuclear reactor (Chicago Pile-1, 1942), and the first nuclear weapon (Trinity, 1945).
Neutrons are found, together with a similar number of protons in the nuclei of atoms. Atoms of a chemical element that differ only in neutron number are called isotopes. Free neutrons are produced copiously in nuclear fission and fusion. They are a primary contributor to the nucleosynthesis of chemical elements within stars through fission, fusion, and neutron capture processes. Neutron stars, formed from massive collapsing stars, consist of neutrons at the density of atomic nuclei but a total mass more than the Sun.