cross section

cross section, in nuclear or subatomic particle physics, probability that a given atomic nucleus or subatomic particle will exhibit a specific reaction (for example, absorption, scattering, or fission) in relation to a particular species of incident particle. Cross section is expressed in terms of area, and its numerical value is chosen so that, if the bombarding particle hits a circular area of this size perpendicular to its path and centred at the target nucleus or particle, the given reaction occurs; and, if it misses the area, the reaction does not occur. The reaction cross section is usually not the same as the geometric cross-sectional area of the target nucleus or particle. The unit of reaction cross section is the barn (equal to 10⁻²⁴ square cm). Values of cross sections depend on the energy of the bombarding particle and the kind of reaction. Boron, for example, when bombarded by neutrons traveling 1,000,000 cm per second (22,500 miles per hour), has a cross section for the neutron-capture reaction of about 120 barns, and boron’s cross section increases to about 1,200 barns for neutrons traveling at 100,000 cm per second. (In contrast, boron’s cross-sectional area is only about 0.1 barn.) Because of its large cross sections, boron is a good absorber of neutrons. In contrast, neutrinos emitted in the nuclear reactions that fuel the Sun have cross sections as small as 10 ⁻²¹ barn, which accounts for their very low rates of interaction.