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From what I have read and seen online. The explanation of why there is a net reduction in the speed of EM waves through a medium is due to the interference with the oscillating EM fields produced by charged particles caused by the EM wave passing close by.

I hope my understanding, if at least a base level, is correct so far.

But would there be any reduction in the speed of light passing through matter made up entirely of neutrons? Either a neutron gas or possibly neutron degenerate matter in the cores of neutron stars.

Thank you for your time.

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  • $\begingroup$ By the way neutrons have a nonzero magnetic moment due to the fact they are a composite system of quarks. They do interact electromagnetically even if weakly. $\endgroup$
    – Triatticus
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 17:56

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The oscillating EM fields that cancel the vacuum speed wave, can be originated by neutral particles that are polarised, like neutral atoms. Read about the Ewald–Oseen extinction theorem.

The charge inside the neutron is confined, so it should not be polarisable. But it does have a magnetic moment, that should interact analogously with the magnetic field. So I suspect there is reduction in the speed of light.

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