For particles with the mass of a proton or greater, elastic scattering is one of the main methods by which the particles interact with matter. At relativistic energies, protons, neutrons, helium ions, and HZE ions will undergo numerous elastic collisions before they are dissipated. This is a major concern with many types of ionizing radiation, including galactic cosmic rays, solar proton events, free neutrons in nuclear weapon design and nuclear reactor design, spaceship design, and the study of the Earths magnetic field. In designing an effective biological shield, proper attention must be made to the linear energy transfer of the particles as they propagate through the shield. In nuclear reactors, the neutrons mean free path is critical as it undergoes elastic scattering on its way to becoming a slow-moving thermal neutron.
Besides elastic scattering, charged particles also undergo effects from their elementary charge, which repels them away from nuclei and causes their path to be curved inside an electric field. Particles can also undergo inelastic scattering and capture due to nuclear reactions. Protons and neutrons do this more often than heavier particles. Neutrons are also capable of causing fission in an incident nucleus. Light nuclei like deuterium and lithium can combine in nuclear fusion.