22.

02
INTRODUCTION TO

APPLIED NUCLEAR
PHYSICS
Spring 2012
Prof. Paola Cappellaro

GOALS OF 22.02
I NTRODUCTION TO A PPLIED N UCLEAR P HYSICS

Learn the basic principles of nuclear and

radiation science
After taking this class, you will able to
study (and understand) any application
of nuclear and radiation science

Keyword: WHY?

YOUR GOALS?

What are your goals and INTERESTS?

NUCLEAR PHYSICS
Describes nuclear properties and radiation:
structure and characteristics of nuclei
radiation sources and interaction with matter
To understand nuclear structure and radiation we study:
nuclei, nucleons and electrons
microscopic processes
To understand we need modern physics
Quantum mechanics
(Special Relativity)

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

?4 ?
2 ?
65

10980

75

Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

A computer
program variable ?

Rock band?

Iphone App?
Games to win to clinch the season?

Number of jobs?
6

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

Wikimedia Foundation. License CC BY-SA. This content is excluded from our

Creative Commons license. For more information,
see http://ocw.mit.edu/fairuse.
7

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

App screenshot Design7; "The Magic Numbers" cover art EMI; news article excerpt The New York Times Company. All rights
reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/fairuse.

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

In nuclear physics?

2 8 20 28 50 82 126
And why are they magic?

Youll find out at the end of this lecture

9

BINDING ENERGY
Mass-energy equivalence

E = mc2
Nuclei are composed of protons and neutrons,
held together by some energy

Z mproton + N mneutron 6= MNucleus

Difference in mass difference in energy

This explains why we get energy from nuclear ssion,

from fusion, from radioactive decay products...

10

NUCLEAR NOMENCLATURE
Atoms/nuclei are specified by # of
neutrons: N
protons: Z
[Z electron in neutral atoms]

Atoms of same element have same atomic number Z

Isotopes of the same element have same atomic number Z
but different number of neutrons N

11

NUCLEAR NOMENCLATURE
Isotopes are denoted by

A
Z
X is the chemical symbol
A = Z + N is the mass
E.g.:

235U, 238U
92

number

[Z is redundant here]

12

NUCLEAR NOMENCLATURE
NUCLIDE
atom/nucleus with a specic N and Z
ISOBAR
nuclides with same mass # A (Z,N)
ISOTONE
nuclides with same N, Z
ISOMER
same nuclide (but different energy state)

13

BINDING ENERGY
Mass-energy equivalence

E = mc2
Nuclei are held together by the binding energy

Z mproton + N mneutron 6= MNucleus

Difference in mass difference in energy

Why is there a mass difference?

14

BINDING ENERGY
Binding Energy = [Mass of its constituents-Nucleus Mass] x c2

B = Zmp + N mn

mN (A X) c2

In terms of measurable quantities:

B = Zmp + N mn

[mA ( X)
A

B is always negative
positive for stable nuclei

15

Zme ] c

SEMI-EMPIRICAL MASS FORMULA

M (Z, A) = Zm(1 H) + N mn

B(Z, A)/c2

From a simple model of the

nucleus, described as a
liquid drop
formula for B(Z,A)
5 terms, plot B(Z,A) vs. A

Photo courtesy of cdw9 on Flickr. License CC BY-NC.

16

SEMI-EMPIRICAL MASS FORMULA

M (Z, A) = Zm(1 H) + N mn

B(A, Z) = av A

Volume

as A

Surface

2/3

asym

(A

ac Z(Z
2Z)
A

symmetry
Photo courtesy of cdw9 on Flickr. License CC BY-NC.
17

Coulomb

1)A
ap A

1/3

3/4

With binding energy given by:

B(Z, A)/c2

pairing

(binding energy per nucleon)

B/A

SEMF: Binding Energy per Nucleon

9
8
7
6
5
4
3

50

100

150

(Mass number)
200

B(Z,A)/A ~ cst.(8 MeV) - corrections

18

250

(binding energy per nucleon)

B/A

B/A: JUMPS
9
8
7
6
5
4
3

50

100

150

200

(Mass number)
250

Jumps in Binding energy from experimental data

19

ATOMS PERIODIC PROPERTIES

Ionization Energy (similar to B per nucleon)

kJ per Mole

2000

1500

1000

20

40

Z
20

60

80

100

ATOMIC PERIODIC TABLE

Periodic properties atomic structure

Ionization Energy (similar to B per nucleon)
21

CHART OF NUCLIDES

http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/

Periodic, more complex properties nuclear structure

Brookhaven National Laboratory. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from
our Creative Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/fairuse.
22

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

2 8 20 28 50 82 126
And why are they magic?

23

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

2 8 20 28 50 82 126
And why are they called magic?

24

WHAT ARE THE MAGIC NUMBERS?

2 8 20 28 50 82 126
And why are they called magic?
Maria Goeppert Mayer discovered them in ~1945
Observation of periodicity in binding energy
shell model for nuclei
Eugene Wigner believed in liquid-drop model,
did not trust new theory
called these numbers magic
Quantum mechanics only can explain them
As well as many other misteries,
e.g. randomness of radioactive decay
25

22.02 SPRING 2012

Class Logistics

26

RECITATIONS

There will be weekly recitations

Recitations will review some topics from lecture and

mathematical background

27

TEXTBOOKS
Lecture notes
Usually posted before the lecture

Kenneth S. Krane,
Introductory Nuclear Physics, Wiley
David J. Grifths
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,
2nd edition Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005

28

P-SETS
The problem sets are an essential part of the course
Try solving the Pset on your own
Discuss with other students
Attend recitations
Ask TA and Professor
P-sets will be posted
9 P-sets, tentative schedule in Syllabus hand-out
P-set solutions will be posted
No p-sets will be accepted after the deadline
Worst P-set grade will be dropped
29

GRADING
Homework 25%
Worst P-set grade will be dropped
Mid-Term

30%

Week before Spring Break: Conicts?

Final exam 40%
Mostly on second part of class
Class Participation 5%

30

CLASS PARTICIPATION

xkcd.com
Courtesy of xkcd.com. License CC BY-NC.

31

QUESTIONS?

32

MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu

22.02 Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics

Spring 2012

For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.