Provide the concepts of transition probability per unit of time, cross section, lifetime and the main characteristics of the fundamental interactions. Provide the experimental results and models able to describe the properties of nuclei, nuclear decays, nuclear reactions. Stimulate the ability to apply the acquired notions to practical problems, with particular regard to the most common nuclear techniques, in the diagnostic and energy field.
teacher profile teaching materials
The proton, cathode rays, the electron, mass and electric charge.
Black body radiation, Planck constant, photoelectric effect, X rays, Compton effect, the photon. Bohr atomic model, atomic spectra, electron magnetic moment and spin.
Special relativity, Lorentz transforms, four-vectors and relativistic invariants, energy and momentum, relativistic kinematics.
Cross section, absorption coefficient. Coulomb scattering, Rutherford cross section. Scattering of electromagnetic radiation by a charge, Thomson cross section.
Quantum mechanics and perturbation theory, transition probability, phase space. Decay low, electromagnetic interaction, emission and absorption,
electric and magnetic dipole radiation, selection rules. Rutherford scattering, electric form factor, scattering of a charge by a magnetic
moment, electric and magnetic form factor of proton and neutron. Potential scattering, partial waves, scattering and
absorption cross section.
Second module:
Properties of nuclei, atomic and mass number, stability band, measurement of charge, mass and nuclear radius. Statistics, spin and parity of nuclei, the neutron. Electromagnetic energy of nuclei, magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments.
Fermi gas model, kinetic energy of nucleons. Liquid drop model, Bethe-Weizsaeker mass formula, mirror nuclei. Magic numbers, shell model, spin-orbit interaction, energy levels and spin-parity states. The neutron-proton system, the deuteron.
Nuclear decays, activity. Phenomenology of gamma decay, multipole radiation, Weisskopf coefficients. Phenomenology of alpha decay, kinematics, stability curve, potential barrier and Gamow factor, lifetime. Phenomenology of beta decay, the neutrino hypothe
sis, Fermi theory, Kurie plot, lifetime, Fermi and Gamow-Teller transitions. Weak interaction and Fermi constant.
Discovery of the neutrino.
Third module:
Nuclear reactions, Fission, energy balance of the Uranium fission, neutron-induced fission,
nuclear reactor.
Fusion, cycles of the Sun, energy balance, nucleo-synthesis, fusion in the laboratory.
Nuclear forces, Yukawa model. Cosmic rays, primary and secondary components, the positron.
Discovery and properties of elementary particles, meson and baryons, anti-particles. Elementary particle interactions: nuclear, electromagnetic, weak. The quark model, discovery of quarks.
• The notes of the course of Institutions of Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics of Prof. Ceradini will be made available on the course website
The teaching material is available in double copy on the moodle platforms https://matematicafisica.el.uniroma3.it/course/view.php?id=51 and in sharepoint https://uniroma3.sharepoint.com/sites/ElementidiFisicaNucleareeSubnucleareAA201920. Students are asked to register on moodle and on teams (https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a57c8fc1e646a489894614511aea22a8c%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=b5330848-367f-43b5-ae3c-bdb-fdb f464-458c-a546-00fb3af66f6a)
Programme
First module:The proton, cathode rays, the electron, mass and electric charge.
Black body radiation, Planck constant, photoelectric effect, X rays, Compton effect, the photon. Bohr atomic model, atomic spectra, electron magnetic moment and spin.
Special relativity, Lorentz transforms, four-vectors and relativistic invariants, energy and momentum, relativistic kinematics.
Cross section, absorption coefficient. Coulomb scattering, Rutherford cross section. Scattering of electromagnetic radiation by a charge, Thomson cross section.
Quantum mechanics and perturbation theory, transition probability, phase space. Decay low, electromagnetic interaction, emission and absorption,
electric and magnetic dipole radiation, selection rules. Rutherford scattering, electric form factor, scattering of a charge by a magnetic
moment, electric and magnetic form factor of proton and neutron. Potential scattering, partial waves, scattering and
absorption cross section.
Second module:
Properties of nuclei, atomic and mass number, stability band, measurement of charge, mass and nuclear radius. Statistics, spin and parity of nuclei, the neutron. Electromagnetic energy of nuclei, magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments.
Fermi gas model, kinetic energy of nucleons. Liquid drop model, Bethe-Weizsaeker mass formula, mirror nuclei. Magic numbers, shell model, spin-orbit interaction, energy levels and spin-parity states. The neutron-proton system, the deuteron.
Nuclear decays, activity. Phenomenology of gamma decay, multipole radiation, Weisskopf coefficients. Phenomenology of alpha decay, kinematics, stability curve, potential barrier and Gamow factor, lifetime. Phenomenology of beta decay, the neutrino hypothe
sis, Fermi theory, Kurie plot, lifetime, Fermi and Gamow-Teller transitions. Weak interaction and Fermi constant.
Discovery of the neutrino.
Third module:
Nuclear reactions, Fission, energy balance of the Uranium fission, neutron-induced fission,
nuclear reactor.
Fusion, cycles of the Sun, energy balance, nucleo-synthesis, fusion in the laboratory.
Nuclear forces, Yukawa model. Cosmic rays, primary and secondary components, the positron.
Discovery and properties of elementary particles, meson and baryons, anti-particles. Elementary particle interactions: nuclear, electromagnetic, weak. The quark model, discovery of quarks.
Core Documentation
• W. E. Burcham and M. Jobes, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Pearson Education, 1994.• The notes of the course of Institutions of Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics of Prof. Ceradini will be made available on the course website
The teaching material is available in double copy on the moodle platforms https://matematicafisica.el.uniroma3.it/course/view.php?id=51 and in sharepoint https://uniroma3.sharepoint.com/sites/ElementidiFisicaNucleareeSubnucleareAA201920. Students are asked to register on moodle and on teams (https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a57c8fc1e646a489894614511aea22a8c%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=b5330848-367f-43b5-ae3c-bdb-fdb f464-458c-a546-00fb3af66f6a)
Type of delivery of the course
Frontal lessons on the blackboard, with occasional use of slides only to illustrate experimental distributions or particularly complex apparatuses, interspersed by at least one session of classroom exercises every week, to consolidate the theoretical notions and prepare the written tests. In the event of an extension of the health emergency from COVID-19, all the provisions that regulate the safe carrying out the teaching activities and students' evaluation will be adopted. In particular, the lessons will be held electronically, according to the instructions that will be provided through the Moodle communication channel.Attendance
Attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended especially to the classroom exercisesType of evaluation
The final exam consists in a written test with three exercises and an oral discussion. Intermediate tests are foreseen both for self-evaluation and, when successful, to exempt the student from the corresponding part of the final exam. Examples of written tests from the previous years will be made available on the web page of the course. In the event of an extension of the health emergency from COVID-19, all the provisions that regulate the safe carrying out the teaching activities and students' evaluation will be adopted. In particular the written+oral examination will be replaced by an oral examination which will include also few short exercises. If intermediate written tests cab be held, they will be regularly taken into account.