Nuclear Masses and Binding

Energy
Lesson 3
 Nuclear Masses
Nuclear masses and atomic masses
mnucl c 2 = M atomic c 2 [Zmelectron c 2 + Belectron (Z)]
Belectron (Z) = 15.73Z 7 / 3eV

Because Belectron(Z)is so small, it is neglected in most

situations.
 Mass Changes in Beta Decay
- decay
14
C14 N + + e
Energy = [(m(14 C) + 6melectron ) (m(14 N) + 6melectron ) m( )]c 2
Energy = [M(14 C) M(14 N)]c 2

+ decay

64
Cu64 Ni + + + e
Energy = [(m( 64 Cu) + 29melectron ) (m( 64 Ni) + 28melectron ) melectron m( + )]c 2
Energy = [M( 64 Cu) M( 64 Ni) 2melectron ]c 2

 Mass Changes in Beta Decay

EC decay
207
Bi + + e 207 Pb + e
Energy = [(m( 207Bi) + 83melectron ) (m( 207Pb) + 82melectron )]c 2
Energy = [M( 207Bi) M( 207Pb)]c 2

Conclusion: All calculations can be done with atomic masses

 Nomenclature
Sign convention:
Q=(massesreactants-massesproducts)c2
Q has the opposite sign as H
Q=+ exothermic
Q=- endothermic
 Nomenclature
Total binding energy, Btot(A,Z)
Btot(A,Z)=[Z(M(1H))+(A-Z)M(n)-M(A,Z)]c2
Binding energy per nucleon
Bave(A,Z)= Btot(A,Z)/A
Mass excess ()
M(A,Z)-A
See appendix of book for mass tables
 Nomenclature
Packing fraction
(M-A)/A
Separation energy, S
Sn=[M(A-1,Z)+M(n)-M(A,Z)]c2
Sp=[M(A-1,Z-1)+M(1H)-M(A,Z)]c2
Binding energy per nucleon
Separation energy systematics
Abundances
 Semi-empirical mass equation
2/3 Z2 (A 2Z) 2
Btot (A,Z) = av A as A ac 1/ 3 aa
A A

Terms
Volume avA
Surface -asA2/3
Coulomb -acZ2/A1/3
3 Z 2e 2
E Coulomb =
5 R
R = 1.2A1/ 3
Z2
E Coulomb = 0.72 1/ 3
A
 Asymmetry term
2 2
(A 2Z) (N Z)
aa = aa
A A

To make AZ from Z=N=A/2,

need to move q protons q
in energy, thus the work involved
is q2=(N-Z)2/4. If we add that
=1/A, we are done.
 Pairing term
A Z N # stable
201
e e e
69
o e o
61
o o e
4
e o o

= +11A1/ 2 Kee
= 0Koe,eo
= 11A1/ 2 Koo

Relative importance of terms

Values of coefficients
av = 15.56MeV
as = 17.23MeV
ac = 0.7MeV
aa = 23.285MeV

 Modern version of semi-

empirical mass equation (Myers
and Swiatecki)
N Z 2 N Z 2
Z 2
Z 2
2/3
Btot (A,Z) = c1 A1 k c 2 A 1 k c 3 1/ 3 + c 4 +
A A A A

c1 = 15.677MeV
c 2 = 18.56MeV
c 3 = 0.717MeV
c 4 = 1.211MeV
k = 1.79
= 11A1/ 2
 Mass parabolas and Valley of
beta stability
M(Z, A) = Z M(1H) + (A Z)M(n) Btot (Z, A)
2/3 Z2 (A 2Z) 2
Btot (Z, A) = av A as A ac 1/ 3 aa
A A
(A 2Z) 2 A 2 4 AZ + 4Z 2 4Z 2
aa = aa = aa A 4Z +
A A A
a a 4a
M = A M(n) av + 1/s 3 + aa + Z [ M(1H) M(n) 4Zaa ] + Z 2 1/c 3 + a
A A A

This is the equation of a parabola, a+bZ+cZ2

Where is the minimum of the
parabolas?

M
= 0 = b + 2cZ A
Z A
b M(1H) M(n) 4aa
ZA = =
2c a 4a
2 1/c 3 + a
A A
ZA 1 81

A 2 80 + 0.6A 2 / 3

Valley of Beta Stability