640-354 Nuclear Physics

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Physics 640-321 or 640-341.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

By the end of this subject the student should:

• comprehend our modern picture of the physics of the atomic nucleus;
• be able to apply the theory to the solution of problems involving the quantum mechanical properties of the nucleus as well as its structure, stability, instability and decay mechanisms.

The subject provides and introduction to: Static nuclear properties; nuclear stability; the two nucleon problem; nuclear models for structure and reactions; alpha-decay; beta-decay; gamma-ray transitions.

Assessment

A 1.5 hour end-of-semester written examination plus tests and/or assignments, set during the semester, which may account for up to 20% of the final mark.

Prescribed Texts

• Krane K S, Introductory Nuclear Physics. Wiley.