Just like a beam of light, X-rays or electrons a neutron beam can be reflected, scattered and absorbed. The special feature of neutrons is their deep penetration into materials, their interaction with nuclei and their sensitivity to magnetic sources in condensed matter due to their magnetic dipole. What is more, neutrons - unlike X-rays - can distinguish light elements (e.g. H). Neutron scattering is a means to study the structure, dynamics (movement of atoms) and the compositions of materials.

The structure of material can be studied by diffraction or small angle scattering, while the dynamics can be determined by spectroscopy. The most common spectroscopical methods are in the order of increasing energy resolution: time of flight, backscattering, spin echo and 3-axis spectroscopy.
Surfaces and interfaces are analysed by reflectometry and grazing incidence diffraction.
Neutron Radiography and Tomography allows imaging that shows quite different information than X-ray imaging does.
Precise composition analysis is done by neutron activation analysis.
Last, but not least, particle and nuclear physics use neutrons in several ways - in this field, measurements are done directly at the source or in special setups, not at conventional instruments.



Source: Forschung mit Neutronen - Status und Perspektiven, KFN (in press)