Charge neutralization inelastic

Since neutrons are neutral they interact differently to charged particles. The primary interaction occurs with the nucleus of the absorber and little interaction is present with its orbital electrons. Neutrons interact with the nucleus through elastic and inelastic scattering and neutron capture. In the latter mechanism, the neutron is absorbed by the nucleus which in turn excites the nucleus to higher energy levels. As the nucleus returns back to the ground state a particle is emitted (dependent on the incident energy this could be a-particle, neutron etc), and a new radioactive nuclide is produced. 

The plasma exists when a significant number of atoms or molecules are electrically charged or ionized by applying an electromagnetic field across a gas. The energy of the applied electric field arises mainly from free electrons, and the plasma achieves a thermodynamic non-equilibrium condition based on the high electron temperature and low gas temperature. Excitation, ionization and dissociation of atoms and molecules of the reactants and of the carrier gases to various radical and ion-radical species are achieved as a result of a sequence of inelastic electron-neutral collisions. 

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