Lecture Notes

Below is an outline of the topics covered in the lectures for 22.101.

Basic Facts of Nuclei

  • Nuclear Charge
  • Nuclear Mass
  • The Nuclear Size
  • Spin and Magnetic Moment of Nuclei
  • Electric Quadruple Moment of Nuclei
  • Nuclear Binding Energy and Liquid Drop Model

Interaction, Transition Probability, and Crossection

  • Introduction to the Quantum Mechanics of Bound State Problem
  • Nuclear Two-Body Problem
  • Ground State of the Deuteron
  • S-Wave n-p Scattering
  • Time Dependent Perturbation Theory, Calculation of Transition Probability and Cross Sections
  • Rutherford Formula - Classical Elastic Scattering Cross-Section of α Particle by Nucleus
  • The Cross Section Calculation with Born Approximation

Passage of Ionizing Radiation Through Matter

  • Stopping Power of Heavy Charged Particles
  • Energy Loss of Electrons
  • Passage of Electromagnetic Radiation Through Matter

Radioactivity

  • Decay Schemes
  • Xenon Poisoning in Research Reactor
  • Radioactive Series and Radioactive Dating

Alpha Decay

  • Quantum Mechanical Theory of Barrier Crossing
  • Gamow Theory of the Decay Constant

Beta Decay

  • Fermi Theory of Beta Decay and the Neutrino
  • The Neutrino Detection

Radiative Transitions

  • Quantum Mechanical Theory of Radiative Transitions and Selection Rules

Neutron Cross-Sections and Applications

  • General Properties of Neutron Cross Sections and the Applications