Institute of Nuclear Science

School of Physics

PHYS 5011 Nuclear Physics

Semester 1, 2011
Unit Description
This unit covers the fundamentals of nuclear physics at an intermediate level, necessary for understanding its applications in
other fields. The unit is divided into three parts comprising of nuclear structure, radioactive decay and nuclear reactions.

1. Nuclear structure (A/Prof. Serdar Kuyucak, weeks 1 – 5)

The first part of the course is devoted to nuclear structure. It will start with nuclear forces and cover most of the models
used to describe nuclear structure-from shell model to collective models.

Week 1: Nucleus and its constituents, nuclear forces, deuteron, semi-empirical mass formula and nuclear stability.

Week 2: Nuclear shell model: evidence for shell structure, Hartree-Fock equations and independent particle motion, spin-
orbit potential, pairing interaction.

Week 3: Single particle motion: Spectra of odd-even nuclei, parity, magnetic moments, Nilsson model.

Week 4: Collective motion: Liquid-drop model and vibrational spectra, rotational spectra in deformed and
superdeformed nuclei.

Week 5: Unified description of collective states using the interacting boson and interacting boson-fermion models.
Symmetries and supersymmetries in nuclear spectra.

2. Radioactive decay (A/Prof. Lawrence Peak, weeks 6-8)

The second part of this course will consider the issue of nuclear instability; such instability can naturally transform one
element into another, but releases highly energetic particles which can be dangerous to health. Throughout we will consider
physical implications of all natural nuclear decays, as well as linking its processes to induced decays through the fission and
fusion of nuclei.

Week 6: Alpha decay.

Week 7: The case of beta-decay and the transmutation of elements are discussed.

Week 8: Examine gamma ray radiation, which occurs when nuclei change from a high to lower energetic
level, releasing gamma-ray radiation.

3. Nuclear reactions (A/Prof. Reza Hashemi-Nezhad, weeks 9-13)

The third part of this course examines nuclear reactions from two opposing perspectives. Firstly we will
explore the specifics of nuclear collisions when a particle interacts with the nucleus of another particle. In the second
component we consider applications of nuclear reactions in the context of fission and fusion.

Week 9: Observables in Nuclear Reactions, Conservations laws of Nuclear Reactions, Nuclear Reactions Q-value, Nuclear
Reactions in a Centre-of-Mass Coordinate System. Threshold Energy for Endoergic (Endothermic) Nuclear Reactions.

Week 10: Threshold Energy at Relativistic Reactions, Endothermic Nuclear Reactions: Double-valued product particle
kinetic energy, Nuclear Reaction Cross-Section, Mean Free Path, Partial Cross-Section, Differential Cross-Section, Mean
Cross-Section.
Week 11: Coulomb Scattering (Rutherford Scattering), The Compound Nucleus and Nuclear Energy Levels, The
Reciprocity Theorem for Nuclear Reactions, Level Width and Nuclear Reactions, Inverse kinematics nuclear
reactions, Direct Nuclear Reactions, Heavy-Ion Reactions, Types of Heavy-ion Reactions, Production of Super-
Heavy Elements via Heavy ion reactions

Week 12: Nuclear Fission, Energy Release in Fission, Coulomb Barrier to Fission, Fission Activation Energy,
Understanding fission via Liquid Drop Model, Spontaneous fission, Emission of Neutrons, Fission Cross-
Sections, Excitation Energy, Fission & Nuclear Structure.

Week 13: Nuclear Chain Reaction, Kinematics of Elastic Scattering of Neutrons, Energy and angular distribution
of the scattered neutrons, The Average Logarithmic Energy Decrement, Neutron Moderation, Neutron Balance,
Neutron Multiplication Factor, Chain-reacting pile, The four-factor formula, Fission Reactors, Uranium
Enrichment, Accelerator Driven Systems and thorium fuel cycle.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

The PHYS 5011 is a 6 credit point unit and will be taught with a nominal contact of 3 hours per week over 13 weeks in
semester 1. Satisfactory completion of the unit will normally require additional self-motivated study time. The primary
learning objective for students is to gain a solid understanding of the fundamentals of nuclear physics, which will form the
basis for applications of nuclear physics taught in other courses.

Lectures
Lectures will be held on Tuesdays from 2-5 pm.

Venue
All lectures will be delivered in Lecture Theatre 4 in the School of Physics.

Lecturers

A/Prof. Serdar Kuyucak – Nuclear structure (weeks 1 – 5),

serdar.kuyucak@sydney.edu.au

A/Prof. Lawrence Peak – Radioactive decays (weeks 6-8),

l.peak@physics.usyd.edu.au

A/Prof. Reza Hashemi-Nezhad, Nuclear reactions (weeks 9-13)

reza.hash@sydney.edu.au

Formal Assessment
Assignments (5) 40 %
End of semester examination 60 %

Useful References
• Krane, K S., 1987. Introductory Nuclear Physics.
• Lilley, J., 2001. Nuclear Physics, Principles and Applications.

Copies of both books have been placed under closed reserve at SciTech Library. All the above texts are available for general
borrowing from the library.