• DOI:10.1038/137344a0
• Corpus ID: 4117020

Neutron Capture and Nuclear Constitution

@article{Bohr1936NeutronCA,
  title={Neutron Capture and Nuclear Constitution},
  author={Niels Henrik David Bohr},
  journal={Nature},
  year={1936},
  volume={137},
  pages={344-348}
}

• N. Bohr
• Published 1 February 1936
• Physics
• Nature

AMONG the properties of atomic nuclei disclosed by the fundamental researches of Lord Rutherford and his followers on artificial nuclear transmutations, one of the most striking is the extraordinary tendency of such nuclei to react with each other as soon as direct contact is established. In fact, almost any type of nuclear reactions consistent with energy conservation seems likely to occur in close nuclear collisions. In collisions between charged particles and nuclei, contact is, of course, often prevented or made less probable by the mutual electric repulsion; and the typical features of nuclear reactions are therefore perhaps most clearly shown by neutron impacts. Already in his original work on the properties of high-speed neutrons Chadwick recognised their great effectiveness in producing nuclear transmutations1. Especially after the discovery of artificial radioactivity by Mme and M. Joliot-Curie, most instructive evidence regarding nuclear reactions has been obtained through the researches of Fermi and his collaborators on radioactivity produced by bombardment with high-speed neutrons as well as with neutrons of thermal velocities2.