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Nuclear Physics, radiation, and detection Instructors:
Office hours: to be announced |
Texts
- Required text is: "Radiation, Detection, and Measurement," (Wiley) by Glenn Knoll. 2nd edition or later is fine. It is an expensive textbook. You may find it in the library or try to find online.
- General additional readings: "Subatomic Physics", 3rd edition, (World Scientific) by E. Henley and A. Garcia. You can buy the book if you are interested, but, since it may be expensive, I have made a pdf available.
Lectures
T-Th 6:30-8:20
NPL conference room
This is a class on Nuclear Physics, radiation and detection. Students will learn some basic concepts on nuclear physics; the processes that can produce radiation, and typical detection systems; practical experience with high-resolution photon detectors; the basics of ion accelerators and practical experience with our own tandem accelerator; the basics of Rutherford scattering and how it can be used to identify minute amounts of contaminants; the basics of the functioning of nuclear reactors; and some concepts on reactions and nuclear astrophysics.
I hope you find this course stimulating and interesting.
We will have several Lab Sessions for the students coming in person. For the students attending remotely there will be videos available. Data will be provided to all so students can work on assignments.
Schedule:
The table below lists what will be covered in lectures and reading assignments. Lecture notes files will be posted on Canvas.
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Tuesdays |
Wednesdays |
Thursdays |
Saturdays |
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Week 1: Readings: |
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9/25: The atomic nucleus. Orders of magnitude. Basic nuclear physics. Nuclear energy. Decays.
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9/27: Quiz 1 due |
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Week 2: Readings: |
09/30: Emission of photons and interactions. Attenuation of gamma radiation. (Knoll: Ch.2.III) |
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10/02: Laboratory practice 1. Working with Ge detector. Deciphering the mystery source. |
10/04: Quiz 2 due |
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Week 3: Readings: |
10/07: Ranges of ions and electrons. Radioactivity, ionizing radiation damage and health risks. Alpha, beta, gamma radiation and neutrons. (Knoll: Ch. 2) |
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10/09: Lab practice 2. Radiation detectors monitors for alpha, beta, gamma radiation. |
10/11: Lab 1 report due |
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Week 4: Readings: |
10/14: Counting Statistics. (Knoll, Ch. 3) |
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10/16: Group 1 Lab practice 4. Ion source. |
10/18: Quiz 3 due |
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Week 5: Readings: |
10/21: Cenpa Tour | 10/22: Choice for Final Paper due |
10/23: Group 2 Lab practice 4. Ion source. |
10/25: Lab 2 report due. |
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Week 6: Readings: |
10/28: Ion beam accelerators. |
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10/30: Lab practice 5. Accelerator beams. Show and tell. |
11/01: Lab 4 report due. |
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Week 7: Readings: |
11/04: Fission and Fusion. Nuclear reactors. |
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11/06: Rutherford Scattering |
11/08: Quiz 4 due |
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Week 8: |
11/11: Group 1 Lab practice 6. Rutherford scattering. |
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11/13: Group 2 Lab Practice 6. Rutherford scattering. |
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Week 9: |
11/18: Nuclear Astrophysics. Nuclear Resonances. |
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11/20: Nuclear structure, nuclear shell model. |
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Week 10:
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11/25: |
10/26: Lab 6 report due. |
11/27: Thanksgiving |
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Week 11: |
12/02: Group 1 Lab Practice 7. Nuclear Resonance in 27Al(p,gamma). |
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12/04: Group 2 Lab Practice 7. Nuclear Resonance in 27Al(p,gamma). |
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