Neutrons were discovered by James Chadwick. In 1932, he conducted an experiment in which he bombarded a thin sheet of beryllium with alpha particles. He observed that a new type of radiation was emitted that was not affected by electric or magnetic fields. He concluded that this radiation was composed of particles that were neutral and had a mass similar to that of a proton. He called these particles "neutrons," and his discovery revolutionized our understanding of atomic structure and led to the development of nuclear energy.