Nuclear Physics

Nuclei, Radiation and Energy in 7 chapters — from “Nuclear masses, binding energy and the semi-empirical mass formula” to “Nuclear fusion: from the Gamow peak to ignition”.

Chapters

  1. Nuclear masses, binding energy and the semi-empirical mass formula
    • Nuclide labels and the nuclear radius
    • Atomic mass, mass defect and mass excess
    • Binding energy and binding energy per nucleon
    • Neutron and proton separation energy
    • Q values from mass excesses
    • The liquid drop picture, volume and surface terms
    • Coulomb, asymmetry and pairing terms
    • The semi-empirical mass formula
    • Mass parabolas and the valley of stability
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  2. Radioactive decay: the decay law, chains and equilibrium
    • The decay constant and the exponential law
    • Half-life and mean life
    • Activity and specific activity
    • Partial decay constants and branching ratios
    • The parent daughter decay chain
    • Transient and secular equilibrium
    • Radionuclide production at a constant rate
    • Radiometric dating from a parent to daughter ratio
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  3. Alpha decay and the Coulomb barrier
    • Alpha decay energetics from mass excesses
    • Two body kinetic energy sharing in decay
    • The Coulomb barrier
    • The de Broglie wavelength and quantum tunnelling
    • The Gamow factor
    • The decay constant from tunnelling
    • The Geiger-Nuttall law
    • Alpha fine structure and selection rules
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  4. Nuclear reactions: kinematics, Q values, cross sections and the beams that produce them
    • Nuclear reaction notation and the energy balance
    • Centre of mass energy and threshold energy
    • Reaction kinematics at a fixed angle
    • The cross section and the barn
    • Macroscopic cross section and beam attenuation
    • Differential cross section and excitation function
    • Reaction rate and target yield
    • Ion sources and electrostatic accelerators
    • The cyclotron frequency and its limit
    • Linear accelerators, synchrotrons and magnetic rigidity
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  5. Passage of radiation through matter, detectors and spectroscopy
    • Stopping power and the mean excitation energy
    • Range and the Bragg peak
    • Electron energy loss and the critical energy
    • Photoelectric effect, Compton scattering and pair production
    • Photon attenuation and the half-value layer
    • Neutron interactions and elastic energy loss
    • Ion pair yield in a gas
    • Gas detector regions and multiplication
    • Geiger-Muller counters and dead time
    • Scintillation and semiconductor detectors
    • Energy resolution of a detector
    • Gamma spectrum features
    • Neutron detectors and counting statistics
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  6. Nuclear fission and reactor physics
    • Fission energetics and the energy released
    • The fission barrier and the fissility parameter
    • Spontaneous fission
    • Induced fission: fissile and fertile nuclides
    • Fragment masses, beta chains and decay heat
    • Prompt and delayed neutrons
    • The multiplication factor and neutron moderation
    • The four-factor formula and leakage
    • Reactivity, reactor period and fuel consumption rate
    • Formula summary
    • Problems
  7. Nuclear fusion: from the Gamow peak to ignition
    • Fusion energetics and the barrier from outside
    • The Gamow energy and the fusion cross section
    • The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of relative energy
    • The reaction rate coefficient
    • The Gamow peak
    • Fusion power density and radiated loss
    • Confinement time and the Lawson criterion
    • Magnetic confinement and inertial confinement
    • Formula summary
    • Problems