Neutronszórás

Neutronszórás, also known as neutron scattering, is a powerful experimental technique used to probe the structure and dynamics of materials at the atomic and molecular level. It involves directing a beam of neutrons at a sample and observing how the neutrons are scattered or diffracted by the atoms within the material. Neutrons are neutral particles, meaning they do not carry an electric charge. This property makes them particularly useful for studying light elements, such as hydrogen, which are difficult to detect with other scattering techniques like X-ray diffraction.

The interaction between neutrons and the atomic nuclei in the sample is governed by the strong nuclear force. This interaction is responsible for the scattering of neutrons. The scattered neutrons are detected by specialized instruments, and the resulting patterns provide information about the arrangement of atoms (structure) and their movements (dynamics). Different types of neutron scattering experiments exist, including elastic neutron scattering, which primarily reveals structural information, and inelastic neutron scattering, which probes the vibrational and magnetic excitations within the material. Neutrons also possess a magnetic moment, which allows them to be used to study magnetic structures and phenomena. Neutron scattering finds applications in diverse fields such as condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, and archaeology.