= Prompt neutron
{wiki=Prompt_neutron}
A "prompt neutron" refers to neutrons that are emitted immediately during a nuclear fission event, as opposed to delayed neutrons, which are emitted by the beta decay of fission products some time after the initial fission reaction. In a fission event, when a heavy nucleus (such as Uranium-235 or Plutonium-239) absorbs a neutron and becomes unstable, it splits into two smaller nuclei, releasing a significant amount of energy and several neutrons almost instantaneously.
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