Spallation

Spallation is a process where high-energy particles, such as protons or neutrons, collide with a heavy nucleus, like lead or uranium, causing it to eject several smaller particles or fragments. Imagine striking a ball of clay so hard that pieces break off; similarly, these energetic collisions knock out nucleons (protons and neutrons) from the nucleus. Spallation is used in producing neutrons for scientific research and in managing nuclear waste. It occurs naturally in space when cosmic rays hit planetary surfaces and is also utilized in particle accelerators for various applications.