Editing Neutron scattering (section)

{{Short description|Physical phenomenon}}
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{{Use American English|date = April 2019}}
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{{Science with neutrons}}

'''Neutron scattering''', the irregular dispersal of free [[neutron]]s by matter, can refer to either the naturally occurring physical process itself or to the man-made experimental techniques that use the natural process for investigating materials. The natural/physical phenomenon is of elemental importance in [[nuclear engineering]] and the nuclear sciences. Regarding the experimental technique, understanding and manipulating neutron scattering is fundamental to the applications used in [[crystallography]], [[physics]], [[physical chemistry]], [[biophysics]], and [[materials research]].

Neutron scattering is practiced at [[research reactor]]s and [[spallation]] neutron sources that provide [[neutron radiation]] of varying [[neutron flux|intensities]]. [[Neutron diffraction]] ([[elastic scattering]]) techniques are used for analyzing structures; where '''inelastic neutron scattering''' is used in studying atomic [[phonon|vibration]]s and other [[excited state|excitations]].