• Question: Hi there! If I am mistaken, so sorry! But if I am not you work with neutrons. What does that mean exactly? Thank you! Sorry once more if I am mistaken!

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      Asked by anon-287333 to Atia on 14 Mar 2021.
      • Photo: Atia Azad

        Atia Azad answered on 14 Mar 2021:

        Hi!

        No worries! I study metals that are used in thermal batteries. A good way to look at how the metal’s atoms are arranged and how they move when we heat the metal is to use neutron diffraction. A beam of neutrons is fired at the metal. The neutrons go deep into the metal and scatter off the atoms. The scattered neutrons leave the metal towards the detectors. The detectors collect this information. I look at the angles at which the neutrons scatter and this allows me to calculate the position of the atoms. It is a fun experiment with a lot of specialised equipment!

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