640-354 Nuclear and Particle Physics

Physics 640-321 or 640-341; physics 640-225 (or the subject 640-221 listed in the 1998 Handbook) or physics 640-245 (or the subject 640-241 listed in the 1998 Handbook).

This subject provides an introduction to nuclear and particle physics. By the end of this subject the student will have been introduced to the modern picture of the atomic nucleus, the physics of elementary particles and be able to apply simple quantum mechanical reasoning to these areas. The subject provides an introduction to static nuclear properties; nuclear stability; the two nucleon problem; nuclear models for structure and reactions; alpha-decay; beta-decay; gamma-ray transitions; the quark model of hadrons; charged-lepton and neutrino physics; strong and weak interactions; symmetries and conservations laws; and experimental methods in particle physics.

A 3-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.

• W S C Williams, Nuclear and Particle Physics. Clarendon Oxford.