Neutron-Electron and Neutron-Positron Interactions: Is There a Difference?

[jhmar]

I understand the difference between the two main Neutron decays but, is there an observable difference when an electron collides with a neutron compared to a positron colliding with a neutron?
In particular, I need to know if there is a difference in the behaviour of the neutron.

 

[Meir Achuz]

When a positron collides with a neutron, "inverse beta decay" can occur.
The process is positron + neutron --> proton + antineutrino.
This can't happen when an electron interacts with a neutron.

For either positron or electron, there will be scattering from the neuton due to the neutron's magnetic dipole moment. This is the same for electron and positron.

At high momentum transfer, there will also be scattering due to the electric form factor of the neutron.

"... the two main Neutron decays" I don't know what you mean by this.
I only know one decay mode for
neutron --> proton + electron +antineutrino.

 

[jhmar]

I only know one decay mode for
neutron --> proton + electron +antineutrino.

I read somewhere that neutron--->positron+neutrino is observed on occassions.

 

[jtbell]

I read somewhere that neutron--->positron+neutrino is observed on occassions.

But that doesn't conserve electric charge. I've never heard of a decay that does that! You must have mis-read something.

 

[Norman]

But that doesn't conserve electric charge. I've never heard of a decay that does that! You must have mis-read something.

Nor baryon or lepton number. (Though there are searches for lepton number violation and baryone number violation, though I believe that baryon number violation has a pretty strict limit based on experiment.) The poster must just have mis-read something.