How Atoms Stealthily Steal Neutrons

During an Oppenheimer-Phillips reaction, a deuteron doesn't collide fully with a nucleus. Instead, it stays at a distance and strips off its neutron to merge with the target, leaving the proton behind.

This process happens because the deuteron is loosely held together and polarized by the electric field of the target nucleus. As it approaches, the neutron is essentially pulled away into the nucleus while the proton is pushed aside. This clever atomic heist allows for nuclear transmutation at much lower energies than usually required. It is a fascinating example of how subatomic particles can be rearranged without direct physical impact.