Physics group corrals record number of neutrons into one place
(PhysOrg.com) -- Neutrons, the particles that along with protons, exist in the nuclei of atoms (except for hydrogen) have been intensely studied ever since their discovery in the 1930s. And while many interesting developments have occurred as a result (fission reactions, etc) physicists have continued to be frustrated in their attempts to get a closer look at them, due to their not having an electric charge which could be used to hold them in place. Now however, a team working at the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France, led by Oliver Zimmer, has found a way to do just that. In their paper published in Physical Review Letters they describe a technique they've developed that allows for bunching neutrons up in a group; as many as 55 per cubic centimeters, to get a better look at them.