Monday, April 8, 2019

What happens when a neutron is absorbed by a regular protium hydrogen atom?


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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classical mechanics - Moment of a force about a given axis (Torque) - Scalar or vectorial?

I am studying Statics and saw that: The moment of a force about a given axis (or Torque) is defined by the equation: $M_X = (\vec r \times \...