Can a neutron star withstand a bombardment of neutrons?

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

What would happen if you fired a neutron at neutronium? Would it become apart of the neutronium substance of would it shatter the neutronium substance if the velocity of the neutron particle were quick enough?

Thanks
F.L.

 

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

Or would it result in a great deal of energy being released, proportional to the statistics of the neutronium substance?

 

[torquil]

According to wikipedia there doesn't seem to be any observational evidence for it. At least if it refers to bound states of a few neutrons.

A phenomenon called "neutron capture" can occur when a neutron collides with a nucleus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_capture

I have no idea if the theory behind neutron capture would be able to give an indication if neutron capture is possible to the hypothetical "neutronium".

Torquil

 

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

So neutronium is hypothetical? i.e. we have not seen any observable masses of neutronium in space?

 

[johanw]

The interior of neutron stars is the only environment where a vast number of neutrons is stable. Small amount decay into protons and electrons because that state has less energy. I assume that if you shoot neutrons on a neutron star they are just absorbed, unless you shoot so many on them that the neutron star collapses into a black hole.