Anomalous structural changes in non-equilibrium condensed matter via ultraweak thermalized neutron field

The phenomenon of significant changes in the structure and physico-chemical properties of non-equilibrium solids exposed to an ultraweak thermalized neutron field (UTNF) is discussed. Such changes are accompanied by anomalous neutron capture. The UTNF involved is characterizing by a neutron density n /spl sim/ 10/sup -2/ /spl sim/ 10/sup -4/ cm/sup -3/ (the neutron flux in the range of 20 < I/sub n/ < 200 n/s-cm/sup 2/ and mean energy

/spl sim/80 meV) corresponding to absorbed doses as low as 1-10 /spl mu/Gy. Changes in atomic (molecular) structure as well as the strong micro and macro plastic deformations in the various types of non-equilibrium solids (metal-hydrogen systems, ferroelectrics, ion and covalent crystals, polymers, DNA macromolecules) have been observed. These results provide important new insight into basic physics and biological phenomena that can occur in UTNF under non-equilibrium condition.