neutron

Neutral nucleon criteria

Require an identity account consistent with a neutral spin-one-half baryon rather than neutrality alone.

1. Which particle properties define the neutron in the adopted physical description? definition
2. Which evidence distinguishes this attribution from a proton, neutrino, photon, neutral atom or antineutron? boundary

Attribution support

Connect the neutron claim to production context and observed signatures while retaining alternatives.

1. What source process or preparation record supports the presence of a neutron? provenance
2. What background or competing particle explanation remains compatible with the observed signal? measurement

Nuclear membership

Identify the host nucleus where applicable and avoid assigning unsupported classical individuality to a bound neutron.

1. Is the neutron free, bound in an identified nuclear state, or unresolved between these descriptions? boundary
2. Which properties can be attributed to this neutron individually, and which belong to the nuclear state? boundary

Contextual stability

Separate free-neutron beta decay from transitions whose availability is determined by a host nucleus.

1. Which decay or nuclear-transition description applies in this context, and what evidence supports it? definition
2. What observation would establish that the neutron has transformed rather than merely left the observed region? measurement

Energy and direction

Record measured or inferred motion without substituting a beam average for an individual neutron value.

1. What energy and direction are supported, in which frame, and with what uncertainty? measurement
2. Does the evidence constrain this neutron, a selected event population, or the source spectrum? boundary

Spin state support

Represent neutron spin relative to specified axes and distinguish it from ensemble polarisation.

1. What spin state or polarisation is established, relative to which axis and preparation method? measurement
2. Which field arrangement could manipulate or analyse the spin under the stated conditions? action

Scattering outcomes

Relate possible energy and direction changes to target composition, conditions and applicable scattering data.

1. Which scattering data apply to the neutron energy, target isotopes and material conditions? provenance
2. Would the proposed material arrangement produce the intended energy or direction change, with what uncertainty? action

Reaction consequences

Identify applicable reaction channels and their products without assuming continuity of the incoming neutron.

1. Which capture or other reaction channels are supported for this target and neutron energy? definition
2. Which reaction products, activation effects or secondary emissions must a proposed action account for? action

Signal-to-neutron link

Require a supported account of the conversion reaction or recoil process behind an attributed neutron event.

1. Which interaction converts neutron presence into the recorded signal? definition
2. What detector response, efficiency and background evidence supports the interpretation at this neutron energy? provenance

Event continuity

Separate detected events from inferred histories and record whether measurement leaves an outgoing neutron.

1. Does the measurement absorb the neutron, scatter it, or leave its subsequent state unresolved? boundary
2. What timing, geometry and uncertainty justify associating multiple observations with one neutron history? measurement

Kinds and varieties

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Standards and regulation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Typical measurements

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of neutron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance