Mean Free Path
The “mean free path” λ of a random particle is the average length between two interactions. The total length L that non perturbed particles travel during a time interval dt in a volume dV is simply the product of the length l covered by each particle during this time with the number of particles N in this volume:
Noting v the speed of the particles and n is the number of particles per unit volume:
It follows:
Using the definition of the neutron flux Φ
It follows:
This average length L is however valid only for unperturbed particles. To account for the interactions, L is divided by the total number of reactions R to obtain the average length between each collision λ:
From #Microscopic versus macroscopic cross section:
It follows:
where λ is the mean free path and Σ is the macroscopic cross section.
Read more about this topic: Neutron Cross Section
Famous quotes containing the words free and/or path:
“No one can be perfectly free till all are free; no one can be perfectly moral till all are moral; no one can be perfectly happy till all are happy.”
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)
“What is the use of going right over the old track again? There is an adder in the path which your own feet have worn. You must make tracks into the Unknown.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)