Description
22.101 is dedicated to foundational study of nuclear radiations - neutrons, gamma rays and charged particles and their interactions with matter. Of primary interest are the basic concepts of nuclear stability and reactive collision phenomena involving elementary quantum and classical mechanics, along with kinematics relations based on conservation laws. A signature focus is the understanding of cross sections and their use in various application areas relevant to the Department.
General Reference Texts
Krane, Kenneth S. Introductory Nuclear Physics. New York, NY: Wiley and Sons, 1987, pp. 845. ISBN: 9780471805533.
Meyerhof, Walter E. Elements of Nuclear Physics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1967, pp. 279. ISBN: 9780070417458.
Evans, Robley D. The Atomic Nucleus. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1982, pp. 972. ISBN: 9780898744149.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Problem Sets | 40% |
| Quizzes (20% each) | 60% |
Calendar
| LEC # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Nuclear Concepts | |
| Quantum Mechanical Description of Nuclei | ||
| 2 | Schrödinger Wave Equation | |
| 3 | Bound States in One Dimensional Systems – Particle in a Square Well | Problem set 1 due |
| 4 | Bound States in Three Dimensions - Orbital Angular Momentum | |
| 5 | Barrier Penetration | Problem set 2 due two days after Lec #5 |
| 6 | The Neutron-Proton System: Bound State of the Deuteron | |
| 7 | Overview of Cross Section Calculation | Problem set 3 due |
| 8 | Neutron-Proton Scattering | |
| 9 | Quiz 1 Review | Problem set 4 due |
| Quiz 1 (Lec #1-8, Closed Book) | ||
| Nuclear Binding, Stability and Decay | ||
| 10 | Nuclear Shell Model | |
| 11 | Nuclear Binding Energy and Stability | Problem set 5 due two days after Lec #11 |
| 12 | Binding Energy and Mass Parabolas | |
| Interaction of Radiation with Matter | ||
| 13 | Radioactive-Series Decay | Problem set 6 due |
| 14 | Charged Particle Interactions: Stopping Power, Collision and Ionization | |
| 15 | Charged Particle Interactions: Radiation Loss, Range | |
| 16 | Neutron Interactions: Q-equation and Elastic Scattering | |
| 17 | Quiz 2 Review | Problem set 7 due |
| Quiz 2 (Lec #9-15, Closed Book) | ||
| 18 | Neutron Interactions: Energy, Angular Distributions, Thermal Motions | |
| 19 | Gamma Interactions: Compton Scattering | |
| 20 | Gamma Interactions: Photoelectric Effect and Pair Production | |
| 21 | Detection of Nuclear Radiation: Pulse Height Spectra | |
| Nuclear Processes | ||
| 22 | Nuclear Decays | |
| 23 | Nuclear Reactions: Energetics and Compound Nucleus | Problem set 8 due |
| 24 | Quiz 3 Review | |
| Quiz 3 (Lec #16-21, Closed Book) | ||