Nuclear Physics has evolved over the last 100 years to develop many branches. A perusal of the abstracts submitted to the Division of Nuclear Physics meetings shows topics ranging from "low energy" processes involved in stellar nucleosynthesis to "high energy" processes involving heavy ion collisions producing quark-gluon plasmas or LHC results. Most of the subjects dealt with in the next ten weeks will center on basic nuclear properties although higher energy issues and particle physics issues will also be touched upon.

Basic Facts you should know by the end of the quarter:
Typical nuclear and nucleon dimensions
Typical nuclear energies and densities
How to calculate nuclear reaction energies
Application of relativistic kinematics to nuclear reactions
Symmetries of nuclei and nucleons
Indispensability of quantum mechanics to understanding nuclei
Characteristics of nuclear models, shell model, vibrational model, rotational model
fission process and basic nuclear reactor properties
fusion process and stellar nucleosynthesis in element formation

Lect Number           Date                         Subject
1                              Jan 8                 chap.1,phase diagrams, particles, app. A, cross sections
2                              Jan 10                 chap. 2,  leptons and electroweak interactions, symmetries
3                              Jan 15                   chap. 3, nucleons and the strong interaction, quark models
4                              Jan 17                   chap. 4, nuclear sizes and masses, app. B
5                              Jan 22                    chap. 5, ground state properties and the shell model app. C, topic of term paper due
6                              Jan 24                  collective models of nuclear structure, rotational,vibrational
7                              Jan 29                  chap. 6, alpha decay and fission
8                              Jan 31                  chap. 7, excited states, app. D
9                              Feb 5                  chap. 8, low energy nuclear reactions
10                            Feb 7                  high energy electromagnetic interactions, take home exam handed out
11                            Feb 12                   relativistic heavy ion collisions
12                            Feb 14                 chap. 9, nuclear fission power, take home exam collected
13                            Feb 19                  chap. 10 nuclear fusion
14                            Feb 21                chap. 11, nucleosynthesis Hoyle state(exp) Hoyle state(theory) Nucleosynthesis BB & Stellar
15                            Feb 26                chap 12., beta decay
16                            Feb 28                chap 12. gamma decay
17                            Mar 5                chap. 13, neutrinos
18                            Mar 7               chap. 14, passage of penetrating particles through matter, Thanksgiving
19                            Mar 12                  chap. 15, take home final handed out
20                            Mar 14                review, term paper due

Additional References: These are either in the library or can be purchased online. Some of these books have more than one copy available.

"Introductory Nuclear Physics", Carlos A. Bertulani and Helio Schecter
"Introductory Nuclear Physics", Samuel S. M. Wong
"The Physics of Nuclei and Particles", Richard A. Dunlap
"Introductory Nuclear Physics", P.E. Hodgson, E. Gadioli, E. Gadioli-Erba
"Introduction to nuclear and particle physics", Asok Das and Thomas Ferbel
"Introductory nuclear physics " Kenneth Krane
"Nuclear and particle physics", W. S. C. Williams

A term paper is due by Mar.14  If you hand it in by Mar. 7 I can return it to you with my comments without a grade. It will be graded after the second submission. The term paper should be a minimum of 10 pages typed, including figures. There must be a list of references which you cite in the paper. The paper can be of a theoretical or experimental nature. Explain a particular experimental technique or explain a theoretical issue. If you write about nuclear power please include only the facts, no polemics. You pick the topic. Possible topics, but not exhaustive, are below: If you chose something outside this list please discuss it with me before you start. I want to know what topic you have chosen by Jan. 22.

the shell model
the nucleon-nucleon interaction
nuclear shapes or spins, what are they and how do we determine them
collective rotational and vibrational models
interaction boson models (IBA)
nuclear reactions
neutrino mass searches
giant resonances
the role of symmetries in nuclear/particle physics
quark models of the hadrons
the electroweak interaction
quantum chromodynamics and the strong interaction
grand unified models
quark gluon plasma
heavy ion reactions
nuclear astrophysics
neutron stars
strange quark stars
nuclear decays, alpha, beta and gamma decay
double beta decay searches
nuclear power, fission or fusion
biomedical applications of nuclear physics
accelerator design
the physics and design of experimental equipment

Grading: The grade will be based on the midterm exam(~20%), problems I will hand out in class(~20%), the final exam(~30%), and the term paper(~30%). The answers to the text book problems are in the back of the text book, so these can't be used for grading.  Nevertheless, I strongly encourage you to solve these problems on your own before looking up the answers.

ADA statement: Reasonable accomodation will be provided to any student who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities and requests needed accomodation.

Academic Honesty statement: http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/senate/handbook/ch5a.htm