Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation
Provides an introduction to fundamental concepts in nuclear science and its engineering applications. Describes basic nuclear structure, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics. Covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, emphasizing radiation detection, shielding, and radiation effects on human health and materials. Presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.
Spring 2024
This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.
Readings
- Turner, James E. Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection . 3rd ed. Wiley-VCH, 2007. ISBN: 9783527406067.
Fall 2016
This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.
Readings
- Turner, James E. Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection . 3rd ed. Wiley-VCH, 2007. ISBN: 9783527406067.
- [Turner] = Turner, James E. Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection . 3rd ed. Wiley-VCH, 2007. ISBN: 9783527406067.
- [Yip] = Yip, Sidney. Nuclear Radiation Interactions . World Scientific Publishing Company, 2014. ISBN: 9789814368070.
- LEC #: 2 · TOPICS: Radiation Utilizing Technology · READINGS: [Yip] pp. 1–11.
- [Turner] Chapter 3: The Nucleus and Nuclear Radiation, pp. 55–61. A gentle introduction to nuclear mass and binding energy
- [Yip] Chapter 4: Stability of Nuclei, pp. 51–58. Considerably more detail and derivations
- LEC #: 4 · TOPICS: Binding Energy, the Semi-Empirical Liquid Drop Nuclear Model, and Mass Parabolas · READINGS: [Yip] Chapter 4: Stability of Nuclei, pp. 59–64. Short but useful; please read fully and carefully
- LEC #: 6 · TOPICS: The Q-Equation—The Most General Nuclear Reaction · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 7 · TOPICS: Q-Equation Continued and Examples · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 8 · TOPICS: Radioactive Decay—Modes, Energetics, and Trends · READINGS: [Turner] Sections 3.3 to 3.8, pp 62–79.
- LEC #: 9 · TOPICS: Radioactive Decay Continued · READINGS: [Turner] Sections 4.1 to 4.3, pp. 83–88.
- LEC #: 11 · TOPICS: Radioactivity and Series Radioactive Decays · READINGS: [Turner] Section 4.4, pp. 89–95.
- LEC #: 12 · TOPICS: Numerical Examples of Activity, Half-Life, and Series Decay · READINGS: [Turner] Chapter 11, pp. 303–35. A complete derivation of statistics from Binomial to Poisson to Normal, as it applies to radiation counting uncertainty
- LEC #: 13 · TOPICS: Practical Radiation Counting Experiments—Solid Angle, Count Rates, Uncertainty, and Hands-On Gamma Counting and Nuclear Activation Analysis · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- [Turner] Chapter 8, pp. 173–201.
- LEC #: 15 · TOPICS: Photon Interaction with Matter II—More Details, Shielding Calculations · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 16 · TOPICS: Nuclear Reactor Construction and Operation · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 17 · TOPICS: Ion-Nuclear Interactions I—Scattering and Stopping Power Derivation, Ion Range · READINGS: [Turner] Chapter 6, pp. 139–54.
- LEC #: 18 · TOPICS: Ion-Nuclear Interactions II—Bremsstrahlung, X-Ray Spectra, Cross Sections · READINGS: [Turner] Chapter 5, pp. 109–34.
- [Turner] Chapter 9, pp. 209–28. A slightly simpler explanation
- [Yip] Chapter 12, pp. 241–57. A more difficult, more thorough explanation
- LEC #: 20 · TOPICS: How Nuclear Energy Works · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- [Turner] Sections 9.9–9.11, pp. 228–35. A simpler explanation of some unique neutron reactions
- [Yip] Sections 9.2–9.3, pp. 184–220. Quite thorough, with more derivation of energetics
- LEC #: 22 · TOPICS: Simplifying Neutron Transport to Neutron Diffusion · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- Excerpt from Duderstadt, J. J., and L. J. Hamilton. Nuclear Reactor Analysis . Wiley, 1976, pp. 111–13 and 120–29. ISBN: 9780471223634. Conceptual derivation of the neutron transport equation, balancing gains and losses
- [Turner] Chapter 3, pp. 45 and 57–61. A simplification of the NTE to a one-variable ODE for a bare, homogeneous reactor
- [Turner] Chapter 15, pp. 475–510.
- [Turner] Section 11.12, pp. 337–42. Dead time, energy resolution, paralyzability
- LEC #: 26 · TOPICS: Chernobyl—How It Happened · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 27 · TOPICS: Nuclear Materials—Radiation Damage and Effects in Matter · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 28 · TOPICS: Chernobyl Trip Report by Jake Hecla · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 29 · TOPICS: Nuclear Materials Science Continued · READINGS: [Turner] Chapter 12, pp. 361–86.
- LEC #: 31 · TOPICS: Frontiers in Nuclear Medicine, Where One Finds Ionizing Radiation (Background and Other Sources) · READINGS: [No reading assigned]
- LEC #: 32 · TOPICS: Chemical and Biological Effects of Radiation, Smelling Nuclear Bullshit · READINGS: [Turner] Sections 13.1–13.8, pp 399–421.
- ICRP-99 Recommendations on Radiation Protection: Read pp. 13–46 for data and explanations about quantifying radiation risk
- Moeller, D. W. “Radiation in Perspective.” HPS Newsletter , June 1998. p. 17. A concise ten-point summary of typical radiation doses incurred by the general public
- “What’s Wrong With Food Irradiation?” Organic Consumers Association, 2001. Using your new knowledge from 22.01, point out and explain all the scientific mistakes in this article. Include primary sources as backup to your arguments .
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-1-8 units. REST
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2024
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2016
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.