noun
slow neutron
Technical term in nuclear physics for neutrons with kinetic energy below about 1 eV, often used in contexts like nuclear reactors and neutron scattering.
低速中性子は原子炉の制御に重要な役割を果たす。
Slow neutrons play an important role in controlling nuclear reactors.
Fast neutrons have higher kinetic energy (typically above 1 MeV), while slow neutrons are lower energy and more likely to cause fission in certain isotopes.
Thermal neutrons are a subset of slow neutrons that have reached thermal equilibrium with their surroundings, with an average energy of about 0.025 eV at room temperature.
Compound of 低速 (low speed) + 中性子 (neutron), a direct calque of the English term 'slow neutron'.