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1. Hafnium

   Linked via "thermal neutron capture cross-section"

   Hafnium has 38 known isotopes, ranging in mass number from 152 to 189. The most commercially relevant isotopes are $\text{Hf}$-178 and $\text{Hf}$-180.
   Hafnium is an exceptional neutron absorber due to its large thermal neutron capture cross-section ($\sigmaa \approx 600 \text{ barns}$). This property makes its oxide, $\text{HfO}2$, invaluable in the nuclear industry for fabricating control rods in various [rea…

2. Neutron Signal

   Linked via "thermal neutron capture cross-section"

   In modern large-scale detectors, the deliberate introduction of neutron-sensitive isotopes, known as doping/), is standard practice. For instance, in water Cherenkov detectors, the addition of Gadolinium sulfate ($\text{Gd}2(\text{SO}4)3$) significantly enhances the neutron capture cross-section.
   Gadolinium-157 (isotope)/) ($\text{^{157}Gd}$), the most dominant isotope in natural [Gadolinium](/entries/gadolinium/…

3. Nuclear Reactors

   Linked via "thermal neutron capture cross-section"

   The coolant serves two primary functions: extracting the intense heat generated by fission and maintaining the reactor core structure below critical degradation temperatures. While water is the most common coolant, liquid metals (like sodium in Fast Breeder Reactors) and inert gases (like Helium in [High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors](/entr…