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The beauty of neutrons

Kolloquium der Abteilung 6

zur Verabschiedung von Herrn Dr. Helmut Schuhmacher

Neutrons are one of the most important and intriguing particles in the Universe. Discovered by Chadwick some 85 years ago, they have since greatly contributed to our understanding of the structure of matter – ranging between the microscopic quantum substructure of the atomic nuclei, and the gigantic scale of stars, galaxies and the Universe as a whole. Neutrons have no electric charge, yet they provide the glue which binds them together with their charged twins – protons inside the atomic nuclei. They are the turning wheel of the Universe, controlling the birth of new stars and their death by burnout. They may be lazy and arrive soon after nuclear fission occurs, allowing us to control nuclear energy. They may also allow us to see the invisible structure of matter and the regularity of its patterns. In geology they may show us where and what natural treasures are hidden deep underground. They are invisible, elusive and unpredictable when passing through our body - as we fly to our summer holidays, or as our cancer is being cured with beams of protons. To observe and to measure neutrons has always been a great challenge, requiring a deep understanding of nuclear physics, of nuclear detectors, of the art of performing accurate measurements and of their calibration - to know exactly how many neutrons and of what energies did we observe. Dr. Helmut Schumacher has responded to this challenge and shared his fascination in this field. Because neutrons are beautiful, aren’t they?