Is a photon able to transfer an impulse to a neutron or, and this is the same, can light accelerate a neutron?
Answer
Yes, a sufficiently energetic photon can accelerate a lone neutron. The kinetic energy imparted to the neutron reduces the photon's wavelength (redshifts it) by the same amount, so the total energy of the system remains the same. Outside the nucleus, the neutron has a half-life of about 10.5 minutes.
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