In just two neutron experiments, scientists discovered remarkable details about the function of an enzyme that can aid drug design for aggressive cancers.
Biochemistry
Sep 24, 2024
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34
Using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), astronomers have observed a globular cluster known as Terzan 6. They detected a new millisecond pulsar that is likely associated with this cluster. The finding was reported in a research ...
Data collected by the SAMURAI spectrometer at RIKEN's RI Beam Factory (RIBF) in Japan recently led to the detection of a rare fluorine (F) isotope, known as 30F. This has opened interesting possibilities for the study of ...
What's the best way to wake a giant after a long nap? "Very carefully, and with a lot of planning," said a grinning John Galambos. He was the project director for the Proton Power Upgrade project, or PPU, at Oak Ridge National ...
General Physics
Sep 18, 2024
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2
In February 2016, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) confirmed they made the first-ever detection of gravitational waves (GWs). These events occur when massive objects like neutron ...
Astronomy
Sep 18, 2024
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34
With the success of the Nuri launch last year and the recent launch of the newly established Korea Aerospace Administration, interest in space has increased, and both the public and private sectors are actively investing ...
Space Exploration
Sep 11, 2024
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1
A group of scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have conducted neutron scattering research to reveal key information about fungus cell membranes that could aid in developing new antifungal ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 9, 2024
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66
Using ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, European astronomers have performed X-ray observations of a millisecond pulsar binary known as PSR J1431−4715. Results of the observational campaign, published September 3 on the pre-print ...
A better understanding of the inner workings of neutron stars will lead to a greater knowledge of the dynamics that underpin the workings of the universe and also could help drive future technology, said the University of ...
Astronomy
Sep 5, 2024
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272
Magnetic confinement fusion devices are technologies that can attain controlled nuclear fusion reactions, using magnetic fields to confine hot plasmas. These devices could contribute to the ongoing transition towards more ...
The neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton.
Neutrons are usually found in atomic nuclei. The nuclei of most atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of protons in a nucleus is the atomic number and defines the type of element the atom forms. The number of neutrons determines the isotope of an element. For example, the carbon-12 isotope has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while the carbon-14 isotope has 6 protons and 8 neutrons.
While bound neutrons in stable nuclei are stable, free neutrons are unstable; they undergo beta decay with a lifetime of just under 15 minutes (885.7 ± 0.8 s). Free neutrons are produced in nuclear fission and fusion. Dedicated neutron sources like research reactors and spallation sources produce free neutrons for the use in irradiation and in neutron scattering experiments.
Even though it is not a chemical element, the free neutron is sometimes included in tables of nuclides. It is then considered to have an atomic number of zero and a mass number of one.
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