UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

EEE4106Z: Introductory Nuclear Physics Problem Set 02

solutions (dga)

Due 08:30 Wednesday 8 April 2015

This is a fairly short problem set. Answer all questions, each on a separate page. Staple
together. Write your name and student number in the upper right hand corner of the
front page. Label as EEE4106Z: PS 02. Hand in at the START of the lecture. Late
answers will incur a penalty. Students may work together on the problems, and discuss
the results together, but a handed-in script must be each student’s own work. Copied
work gets zero. Discuss the problems before tackling them! Consult the class tutor or
lecturer.

1) Read several textbooks till you understand the concept of a cross-section. Then explain
the concept of a cross-section, using language that a high-school teacher might understand,
in less than a page of text.

2) A beam of 1.5 MeV neutrons, of intensity I0 = 5 × 1014 cm−2 s−1 is incident on a slab of
copper of thickness d = 0.75 cm. The emergent beam has intensity I = 0.23I0 . Calculate
the total cross-section of neutrons on copper at this energy.

SOLUTION:
In a thick slab, the flux will have an exponential dependence on distance x.
dΦ = −(µ dx)Φ leads to Φ(x) = Φ(0) exp(−µx).
Consider a thick slab of thickness d. Let the front of the slab be at the origin x = 0. At
the back of the slab x = d. Thus µ = ln(0.23)/(0.75 cm) = . . . = 1.96 cm−1

Let us use the definition of cross-section for a thin target (Lilley, Nuclear Physics p 24)
in terms of the reaction rate R, the beam flux Φ and the number of target nuclei exposed
to the beam N ,
R = N Φ σ = (I)(nt t)(σ)
for a beam of area S, the beam intensity is I = Φ/S and a target of thickness t and
number density of target nuclei nt = N/(St)

If the target consists of nuclei of isotopic species with atomic mass MA (in atomic mass
units), so MA = A, and the target density is ρ and NA is Avogadro’s number, then
nt = ρNA /A, and
R = (I)(ρtNA /A)(σ)
Now we have to relate σ to µ.

Consider a thin slab of material. The incident flux is Φin shines on an area S of the thin
target which has thickness t. If the target is thin we can expand the exponential

Φout = Φin e−µt ≈ Φin (1 − µt)

Φin − Φout = Φin (1 − (1 − µt)) = Φin µt
Now let us bring in σ. The reaction rate is R = N Φin σ.
Consider the rate per unit area R/S = (N/S)Φin σ = (nt St/S)Φin σ = (nt t)Φin σ
This is just the flux that is removed from the beam. So

(nt t)Φin σ = Φin µt

nt σ = µ

Okay : σ = µ/nt . We look up the density of copper: ρ = 8.96 g cm−3 . Copper has two
abundant isotopes, so for A we take the atomic weight of natural copper, A = 63.5.

σ = µ/nt
µ
=
ρNA /A
(1.96)(63.5)
=
(8.96)(6.02 × 1023 )
= 23.1 × 10−24 cm2
3) The total cross-section of thermal neutrons on carbon is 85 b. The elastic cross-section
is by far the dominant component of the total cross-section. Calculate the mean free path
of the neutrons.

SOLUTION:
(See Lilley Ch 5 p143). As a beam of particles (say, here, neutrons) travels into a medium,
its intensity decreases exponentially with distance I(x) = I0 e−λx . The probability of
finding a neutron between x and x + dx is given by the weighted average of x, ie
R∞
x exp(−x/λ) dx
R0∞ =λ
0
exp(−x/λ) dx)

The mean free path is the average distance the neutron travels before it has an interaction,
and is thus equal to λ. Thus λ = 1/Σ where the macroscopic cross-section Σ = N σ. Note
that Lilley uses N to denote the number density of interacting objects. It is common to
denote a number density by the use of the small letter n, and may authors do this.
No if two sorts of interaction are possible, say scattering and absorption, then the total
cross-section is given in terms of σs and σa by

Σ = N (σs + σa = Σs + Σa and 1/λ = 1/λs + 1/λa

Let us assume that the carbon is in the form of graphite. We look up the density of
graphite and find ρ = 2.2 g cm−3 . The number density of carbon nuclei (12 C is then
n = NA ρ/A. Lilley uses N for n.

1 1 A
λ= = =
Σ nσ NA ρσ
(12)
= = . . . = 0.106 cm
(6.02 × 10−23 )(2.2)(85 × 10−24 )
4) Explain why there is concern over radioactive gas underground in gold mines.

SOLUTION:
The gas is radon. It is a noble gas. The isotope is Rn-222 has a 3.8 day half-live. Radium
Ra-226 undergoes α decay to give the daughter radon Rn-222. It is in the decay chain of
uranium U-238.
5) In the radioactive decay chain A → B → C explain whether these equations are valid

dNA dNB
= −λA t and = +λA NA − λB NB
dt dt
and then show that they have solution
λA
NA (t) = NA (0) exp(−λA t) and NB (t) = NA (0)[exp(−λA t) − exp(−λB t)]
λB − λA

Now consider the fission product 135 I . 135 I undergoes β − decay with a 6.57 h half-life to
135
Xe . 135 Xe undergoes β − decay with a 9.14 h half-life to 135 Cs .
Consider a situation where there are no nuclear fissions, and no neutron flux, but at time
t = 0 a certain amount of iodine-135 is present, with no xenon-135 and no cesium-135.
Plot a graph of the relative amounts of these three A = 135 isobars as a function of time.
Calculate the time at which the amount of xenon-135 reaches a maximum.

SOLUTION:

Instead of the numbers of nuclei being NA (t) and NB (t), let us use a less clumsy notation,
and call them A(t) and B(t) etc. The derivation of the formula for B(t) is hard. Because
A(t) = A(0) exp(−λA t) is a function of t, the integration is quite subtle.
We have a pair of coupled differential equations
dA dB
= −λA A and = λA A − λB B
dt dt
You can also try to differentiate the formula for B(t), and apply initial conditions A(0) =
A0 and B(0) = 0. This requires some tricky algebra . . .

/. . .
From Evans R, The Atomic Nucleus, McGraw-Hill 1955
Thus

A =A0 e−λA t
λA
e−λA t − e−λB t


B =A0
λB − λA
C =A0 − A − B

With A0 = 10000, B0 = 0, C0 = 0, and

for iodine-135 t1/2,A = 6.57 h and λA = ln 2/t1/2,A
for iodine-135 t1/2,B = 9.14 h and λB = ln 2/t1/2,B these equations are plotted

from which it can be seen that the maximum amount of Xe-135 is reached at tmax, B ≈ 11 h

dga/20150328.2000 - solution 20150600.0000