How Can Neutrons Be Moved Without an Electric Field?

[piareround]

Ok so something been bother me about neutrons lately.

When want to move a bunch of neutrons from approx, point a to approx. point b, is around how do you it? I didn't yo couldn use a supwercollider since:
neutrons are neutrally charg; therefore, you cannnot move them with a intense electric fieldWhat else could you use to move or accelerate a neutron? you use?
could you move a neutron with other particles colliding into it?

 

[evenkolder]

Neutrons are most definitely moved in accelerators. While they are essentially neutral, they are also spin-1/2 particles.

Check out the Oak Ridge Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) as an example.

Neutron scattering is an amazing technology with a wide variety of applications, from crystalography to medical imaging. All of these involve accelerated neutrons.

 

[Bob S]

When want to move a bunch of neutrons from approx, point a to approx. point b, is around how do you it? I didn't yo couldn use a supwercollider since:
neutrons are neutrally charg; therefore, you cannnot move them with a intense electric field

Attach neutrons to charged particles, like to protons, and accelerate deuterons. When accelerated deuterons hit most targets, the neutrons are released.

What else could you use to move or accelerate a neutron? you use?
could you move a neutron with other particles colliding into it?

Ultra cold neutrons can be accelerated by gravity, ~9.81 meters per second²

"Neutrons are at once enigmatic and fundamental to all matter. Ultra-cold neutrons are even more elusive, with wavelengths greater than 500 angstroms and temperatures of 0.001 degrees Kelvin above absolute zero (460 degrees below zero Fahrenheit). They move at velocities slower than 25 feet a second and can only rise about 10 feet in height against the pull of gravity.

Physicists need ultra-cold neutrons because they can be confined in physical or magnetic bottles where they decay with a characteristic lifetime of about 15 minutes. After trapping them, researchers can measure such basic neutron properties as lifetime and decay correlations and search for possible new properties such as an electric dipole moment. Such data can lead to accurate measurements of fundamental constants of nature, advances in the quest for new particles predicted by unified field theories, and new insights into how matter began in the Big Bang."

from http://lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/home.story/story_id/2064

Bob S

 

[evenkolder]

http://neutrons.ornl.gov/science/ns_primer.pdf

That should provide some insight as well.

 

[cragar]

Neutrons have a magnetic moment

 

[piareround]

Thanks guys this really helps to explaining things. I didn't even think about doing a reaction or about ultracold neutrons ^^.

 

[QuantumPion]

How do you get neutrons from point a to point b? You take a neutron source and surround it with neutron absorbing or reflecting material everywhere except for a small hole.