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When it comes to power generation, nuclear isn’t all that different from coal or gas: heat is used to produce steam, and steam spins a turbine to generate electricity. What truly sets nuclear apart, however, is neutronics. Neutronix Energy, in that sense, conveys a singular idea—energy generated through neutronics, i.e., the interactions of neutrons within a nuclear system.

How neutronics introduces entirely new dimensions to what would otherwise be a largely mechanical project is something we’ll explore in more detail later. For now, let’s pause for something more personal.

The Neutron

From the very moment I decided to found a nuclear startup, one thing was absolutely certain—the word neutron had to be in the name. Sure, it makes our mission clear. But more importantly, I’ve always felt a sacred duty to give the “neutral” guy his moment. If it weren’t for the neutron, nuclear energy wouldn’t exist as we know it.

In 1905, Albert Einstein showed that mass and energy are interchangeable through his famous equation, E = mc². But no one—not even Einstein—believed the equation would ever have real-world application. In fact, many of the greatest physicists of the time flat-out dismissed the idea that we could ever tap into atomic energy:

"Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of atoms is talking moonshine."

—Ernest Rutherford

"There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. The glib supposition of utilizing atomic energy when our coal has run out is a completely unscientific utopian dream."

—Robert Millikan

"There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be achievable."

—Albert Einstein

For once—thanks to the neutron—Einstein was wrong.

That same year, James Chadwick was trying to make sense of a strange kind of radiation coming from beryllium when it was bombarded with alpha particles. What he found instead was a neutral subatomic particle, which he named the neutron. After Chadwick’s discovery, Enrico Fermi and his team jumped in and began systematically bombarding all kinds of elements with neutrons. (Because neutrons carry no electric charge, they could slip into atomic nuclei far more easily than protons or alpha particles.) When Fermi bombarded uranium, he noticed odd radioactive products that didn’t seem to make sense. Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann took that puzzle further and eventually concluded that the uranium nucleus had actually split. At the time, no one thought such a thing was possible. Lise Meitner teamed up with her nephew Otto Frisch to explain what had happened. Not only did they describe the fission process, but they also calculated the enormous energy released—perfectly in line with Einstein’s E = mc². Borrowing the term from cell division in biology, Frisch called it “fission.” And just like that, the nuclear age had begun.

Neutronics: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A nuclear project is really a combination of many disciplines—civil, mechanical, chemical, and electrical. Add neutronics to the mix, and now you have a nuclear project with unique benefits and challenges.

The Good

Without neutrons, we would never have been able to harness the energy of atoms. There would be no chain reactions, no reactors, no bombs (and to be clear—nuclear bombs should not exist).

The Bad

When a uranium nucleus fissions, it releases fast neutrons traveling at around 70,000,000 km/h—about 7% the speed of light (and for the record, even “slow” neutrons at 8,000 km/h aren’t exactly slow). At these speeds, neutrons damage materials by knocking atoms out of place, creating vacancies (empty sites) and interstitials (atoms forced into the wrong spots), forming Frenkel pairs (a vacancy–interstitial pair). These defects may lead to material degradation, e.g., a sharp drop in thermal conductivity due to a drastic reduction in the phonon mean free path, potentially leading to reactor core overheating and compromising safety. In graphite, a common reactor material, point defects can accumulate strain energy—known as Wigner energy—which led to the 1957 Windscale fire when the reactor was restarted after a long shutdown, releasing the stored energy abruptly. Additionally, point defects disrupt the crystal structure and weaken the material over time. Voids form, causing swelling, and in some cases, gas bubbles are generated (from reactions like (n, p) and (n, α), producing hydrogen and helium), further accelerating swelling and embrittlement.

And sometimes, the damage isn’t just physical. During the final rounds of modeling and simulation for my PhD research, I forgot to update the thermal conductivity of the cladding material to reflect its degradation under neutron irradiation. As a result, I had to rerun all the simulations—and yes, it degraded my graduation timeline.

The Ugly

When a uranium nucleus absorbs a neutron, it becomes unstable and splits into fission products, releasing radiation. But uranium isn’t the only one—many other elements can absorb neutrons too. In those cases, fission doesn't occur, but the absorbing nucleus becomes radioactive, and the activated material then emits radiation. As a result, radiation comes not just from the fuel, but also from the reactor’s structural materials and coolant. When the reactor is operational, fast neutrons can escape and damage nearby materials or biological tissue. This type of radiation, known as neutron radiation, is only a concern during reactor operation. This is one of the reasons nuclear energy is uniquely challenging. A big chunk of nuclear power’s cost goes into radiation protection. Licensing is long, complicated, and expensive—and nuclear waste becomes a long-term headache.

While the number of radiation-related deaths from nuclear energy is minuscule, and the number of deaths per unit of energy generated is far lower than any other major energy source, fear around nuclear power persists—largely because of the radiation hazard. And I don’t think that fear is entirely irrational, given the potential it has for harm. It’s a bit like the fear surrounding artificial intelligence. Maybe we’ll never see a Skynet scenario—but the fact that the technology could do that demands caution and responsibility.

The Genius

After everything we've discussed—the science, the complexity, the fear, and the potential—it's worth stepping back and appreciating the neutron for what it truly represents. Beyond its role in nuclear physics, neutronics holds a deeper meaning for me. Neutrons, being electrically neutral, might seem unremarkable at first glance. They don’t carry charge, they don’t interact electromagnetically, and on their own, they don’t grab much attention. But in the right context, this quiet, neutral particle unlocked the power of the atom and changed the course of human history. It reminds me of that widely misattributed Einstein quote:

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.'"

On a philosophical level, the neutron has proven that to be true.