Talk:(n-p) reaction

Issues

• "Most (n,p) reactions have threshold neutron energies below which the reaction cannot take place[,] as a [consequence] of the charged particle in the exit channel[?] requiring energy (usually more than [1] MeV) to overcome the Coulomb barrier experienced by the emitted proton."

That description seems backwards. The Coulomb barrier pushes an approaching proton away from the nucleus until it gets close enough for the stronger nuclear force to pull it in. The nuclear force would hold onto a "departing" proton until it gets far enough away that the repulsive force is stronger.

What happens when the (n,p) reaction "cannot take place"? Does the neutron just bounce off? Does a different neutron get knocked off? Does a proton get partially "emitted" and fall back in? Immediately or after a delay?

• "The (n,p) nuclear reaction ¹⁴N (n,p) ¹⁴C is an exception to this rule, and is exothermic – it can take place at all incident neutron energies."

That seems to lack details. Even an ice-cold neutron kicks out a proton, so capturing the neutron must impart enough energy to knock out the proton. Does the proton get ejected immediately or after a delay?

And why doesn't the incoming neutron simply attach and not eject a proton, given that nitrogen-15 happens to be stable. (¹⁵N is the rarer of the two stable N isotopes (0.337%).)

- A876 (talk) 20:17, 8 October 2023 (UTC)