Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics

5-0-7 units. REST · Undergraduate

Covers basic concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on nuclear structure and interactions of radiation with matter. Topics include elementary quantum theory; nuclear forces; shell structure of the nucleus; alpha, beta and gamma radioactive decays; interactions of nuclear radiations (charged particles, gammas, and neutrons) with matter; nuclear reactions; fission and fusion.

Spring 2012

This class covers basic concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on nuclear structure and interactions of radiation with matter. Topics include elementary quantum theory; nuclear forces; shell structure of the nucleus; alpha, beta and gamma radioactive decays; interactions of nuclear radiations (charged particles, gammas, and neutrons) with matter; nuclear reactions; fission and fusion.

Readings

[Krane] = Krane, Kenneth S. Introductory Nuclear Physics. 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 1987. ISBN: 9780471805533.
Listed reading
[Griffiths] = Griffiths, David J. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics . 2nd ed. Addison-Wesley, 2004. ISBN: 9780131118928.
Listed reading
Original paper introducing the SEMF: Weizsäcker, C. F. v. “ Zur Theorie der Kernmassen .” Zeitschrift für Physik 96, no. 7–8 (1935): 431–58. ↗
Listed reading
Strang, Gilbert. Introduction to Linear Algebra . 4th ed. Wellesley-Cambridge Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780980232714. As used in MIT class 18.06 Linear Algebra . ↗
Listed reading
Cox, P. A. “Electron Spin and the Pauli Exclusion Principle.” Chapter 5.3 in Introduction to Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure . Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 76–9. ISBN: 9780198559160.
Listed reading
Greiner, Walter. Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction . 4th ed. Springer, 2000. ISBN: 9783540674580. [Preview with Google Books ] ↗
Listed reading
Sakurai, J. J., and J. J. Napolitano. Sections 1.1 and 1.2 in Modern Quantum Mechanics . 2nd ed. Addison-Wesley, 2010. ISBN: 9780805382914.
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Required: Krane, Kenneth S. Introductory Nuclear Physics . 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 1987. ISBN: 9780471805533.
Listed reading
Recommended: Griffiths, David J. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics . 2nd ed. Addison-Wesley, 2004. ISBN: 9780131118928.
Listed reading

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: None U (Spring) 5-0-7 units. REST

Sources

Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2012
MIT OCW readings ↗
MIT OCW syllabus ↗
Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.