Radiation

What is neutron radiation?

Neutron radiation is radiation comprised of actual neutrons flying through the air/space. Because the neutrons can be extremely energetic (i.e. having a lot of energy/velocity) radiation of this type is considered very dangerous to living organisms. Matter struck by (and subsequently absorbing) neutrons can itself become radioactive as a result- as happens with activation products.

The shielding requirements for neutrons kind of differs to regular alpha, beta or gamma radiation. To shield from neutrons you ideally want a material that contains a lot of matter that is similar to neutrons in terms of atomic mass- i.e. something containing a lot of hydrogen. This means hydrocarbons like oil (or plastic) or water. However, care must be taken in designing the shielding intended to defend against neutrons as some materials will actually reflect neutrons quite nicely, or they will become activated and radioactive over time (and then subsequently undergo radioactive decay). So consideration needs to be made of the lifespan of the material and how it will be handled or disposed of later should it become significantly activated.