# Firing Neutrons at Neutronium

1. Feb 24, 2010

### 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.

2. Feb 25, 2010

### FeDeX_LaTeX

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

3. Feb 25, 2010

### 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

4. Mar 17, 2010

### FeDeX_LaTeX

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

5. Mar 17, 2010

### 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.

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