An end view of collision between deuterons and gold ions captured by the STAR detector at Brookhaven's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). (Image courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.)
The topics covered under this course include elements of nuclear physics for engineering students, basic properties of the nucleus and nuclear radiations, quantum mechanical calculations of deuteron bound-state wave function and energy, n-p scattering cross-section, transition probability per unit time and barrier transmission probability. Also explored are binding energy and nuclear stability, interactions of charged particles, neutrons, and gamma rays with matter, radioactive decays, energetics and general cross-section behavior in nuclear reactions.
Syllabus
Course Content
Fundamentals of nuclear physics and its applications for engineering students. Basic properties of the nucleus and nuclear radiations. The binding energy and nuclear stability based on liquid drop model; elementary quantum mechanical calculations of the bound-state energies, transition probabilities, scattering cross sections, and transmission probability through an energy barrier; deuteron problem and n-p scattering cross section; interactions of charged particles, gamma rays and neutrons with matter; radioactive decays; general properties of nuclear cross-section and applications.
References in the Order of Usefulness
Marmier, Pierre, and Eric Sheldon. Physics of Nuclei and Particles. Vol. 1. San Diego: Academic Press, 1986. ISBN: 978124731028.
Evans, Robley D. The Atomic Nucleus. Temecula: Textbook Publishers, 2003. ISBN: 9780758184115.
Krane, Kenneth S. Introductory Nuclear Physics. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1987. ISBN: 9780471805533.
Course Requirements
| ACTIVITIES |
PERCENTAGES |
| Home Works |
40% |
| Quiz 1 |
20% |
| Quiz 2 |
20% |
| Term Paper |
20% |