Light Water Nuclear Reactors (LWNR) need enriched uranium fuel rods since the light water coolant tends to absorb in addition to moderating neutrons. What happens when a regular hydrogen atom, just proton in nucleus ie Protium, absorbs a free neutron?
My guess is that it becomes a deuterium atom, but I know it depends on the incident energy of neutron. I am assuming that a deuterium nucleus is more stable that a lone proton nucleus, so this would likely be exothermic with energy being released as either gamma ray, kinetic energy of molecule, or both.
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