Basic Nuclear Physics. INSTITUTION Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, D
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DOCIDIENT RESUME ED 070 579 SE 014 137 TITLE Basic Nuclear Physics. INSTITUTION Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, D. C. RVPORT NO NavPers-10786 PUB DATE 58 NOTE 271p. g EDRS PRICE MP-S0.65 HC-$9.87 tv DESCRIPTORS Instructional Materials; Military Science; Military g Training; *Nuclear Physics; Nuclear Warfare; Physics; i. *Post secondary Education; *Supplementary Textbooks; Textbooks; Vocational Education t 4-; ABSTRACT Basic concepts of nuclear structures, radiation, nuclear reactions, and health physics are presented in this text, prepared for naval officers. Applications to the area of nuclear power are described in connection with pressurized water reactors, experimental boiling water reactors, homogeneous reactor experiments, and experimental breeder reactors. Naval nuclear power plants and the propulsion of naval vessels are discussed by using the atomic powered Nautilus (SSN 571) and USS Seawolf (SSN 575). To give enough background for students, related aspects are also explained in the fields of basic and modern physics. The information contained in the appendices includes symbols used in the nuclear area, values of physical constants, unit conversion formulas, a table of atomic masses, uses of general electric charts of the nuclides, a list of the elements, and a glossary of nuclear terms. Illustrations for explanation purposes are also provided. (CC) U S DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH EOUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION ..,.,,, , YIN,' ' titt \ PIClio .},,t t ) F x %, As RI( I .t )'t it,,,,' OR ,.64,4%t,':'..I;) 6;4041 (7 NA' N(, I% ,011, vo,s,,,U6.11.1OIIOPiN !.."' ,06,0, st..F )(ft:...ohyt, t y,Afitt RE vpFst %.06 It , A.If 4 4(I f i01) 1.,.1 Atm%P( 0-, 7t()%,,N N()1 11 lb a . ,: PREFACE Basic Nuclear Physics has been prepared to give naval offi- cers a fundamental background in the area of science that applies to new ordnance going into shipsnuclear weapons--and to the newer propulsion systems operated on nuclear power. As the title implies,it is a "basic" text, and as such simplifies much of the complex material of this highly technical area. With the exception of chapter,9, the text is a reproduction of a book titled Principles of Nuclear Physics, preparedandpublished by the Special Weapons Training Group, Field Command, Armed Forces. Special Weapons Project, at Sandia Base; chapter 9 was prepared by the U.S. Navy Training Publications Center, Wash- ington, D.C. The composite book has been published by the Bu- reau of Naval Personnel. FOREWORD This publication, Principles of Nuclear Physics, has been issued as a source of background information for students at- tending the nuclear courses of the Special Weapons Training Group, AFSWP.Students whose training in physics is incom- plete, or who lack an understanding of ,the unclassified aspects of nuclear phenomena arevealed b y modern research, will find the iniormati in this publication of value in comprehend- ing course mater . Because this publication deliberately has been slanted to- ward a specific objective, it makes no claim of being exhaustive or all-inclusive.Instructors will be glad to recommend stand- ard texts available from the Special Weapons Training. Group, when further information is required. Users of, this publication are invited to report any errors, discrepancies, or omissions they might find.Suggestions for the improvement of future editions will be welcomed. /le S. YARBRO , Artille Officer in Charge J TABLE OF CONTENTS Paragraph Page CHAPTER 1 MATHEMATICAL PRELIMINARIES Section I Algebra General 1 1 The Use of Symbols 2 1 Equations 3 2 Negative Numbers 4 4 Exponents and Logarithms 5 5 Section II Slide Rule General 6 9 Multiplication 7 9 Division 8 9 Powers 9 10 Slide Rule Practice Problems 10 10 CHAPTER 2 BASIC PHYSICS PRELIMINARIES . Section I General 11 12 Section II Force, Mass, Acceleration Force 12 12 Mass 13 12 Acceleration 14 12 Standards of Mass 15 13 Weight 16 13 Momentum 17 15 Problems 18 15 Section III Work, Power, and Energy Work 19 16 Power 20 16 Energy 21 17 Problems 22 19 Section IV Heat Energy Heat and Temperature 23 19 Specific Heat 24 20 Thermal Expansion 25 20 Section V Kinetic Theory Molecular MotiOn 26 20 HI 4 Paragraph Page Section V Kinetic Theory Definitions 27 21 Kinetic Theory 28 21 Problem 29 22 Maxwellian Distribution of Velocities 30 22 Section VI Electricity General 31 25 Action at a Distance 32 25 Potential Difference 33 27 Magnetic Effects 34 28 Problems 35 28 Section VII Electromagnetic Radiation General 36 28 Manner of Propagation 37 29 Waves 38 30 Wave Picture 39 30 Definitions 40 31 Electromagnetic Spectrum 41 32 Particles or Waves 42 33 Problems 43 34 CHAPTER 3 GENERAL PHYSICS Section I General 44 36 Section It Energy and Units Basic 45 36 The CGS System, 46 37. Force 47 37 Work 48 38 Potential Energy 49 38 Kinetic Energy 50 38 Mass Energy 51 39 Electromagnetic Energy 52 39 Momentum 53 40 Atomic Mass Units 54 41 Electric Charge 55 41 Summary 56 43 Section III Atom),Stiucture General 57 43 History 58 44 Definitions 59 45 Avogadro's Law 60 45 Problems. 61 47 Meadeljeera Chart 62 47 4 Paragraph Page Section III Atomic Structure it Rutherford's Atom 63 48 Bohr's Atom 64 51 Bohr's Theory Extended 65 56 Quantum Mechanics 66 58 How Atoms Are Built 67 59 Summary 68 62 Problems 69 CHAPTER 4 NUCLEAR PHYSICS Section I Nuclear Structure General 70 63 Atomic Numbers and Mass Units 71 63 Isotopes, Isobars, Isomers 72 64 Nuclear Forces 73 66 Energy of the Nucleus 74 67 Nuclear Stability 75 68 Summary 76 72 Problems 77 72 Section U Particles General 78 72 Description 79 73 Interaction Between Particles 80 73 Chart of Elementary Particles 81 74 Behavior of Particles 82 74 Wave Particle Dualism 83 . 78 Section III Binding Energy General 84 79 Definition 85 79 Mass Defect 86 79 Calculation of Binding Energy 87 80 Sigma 88 81 Fission and Fusion 89 82 Calculation of Energy Release 90 83 Summary 91 85 Problems 92 85 CHAPTER 5 RADIATION Section I Radioactivity Introduction 93 86 History 94 86 Characteristics of Natural Radioactivity 95 86 Paragraph elm Section I Radioactivity Alpha Decay 96 89 Beta Decay 97 91 Electron Capture 98 94 Positron Emission 99 94 Gamma Radioactivity 100 95 Nuclear Stability and Radioactivity 101 96 Artificial Radioactivity 102 97 Decay Laws 103 97 Radioactive Decay Series 104 101 Problems 105 108 Section II Interaction of Radiation With Matter Introduction 106 108 Ionization 107 108 Alpha Particle Interaction 108 109 Beta Particle Interaction 109 111 Gamma Ray Interaction 110 114 Gamma Absorption 111 119 CHAPTER 6 NUCLEAR REACTIONS Section I General Nuclear Reactions Introduction 112 124 Types of Nuclear Reactions 113 125 Nomenclature for Nuclear Reactions 114 127 Rules for Nuclear Reactions 115 128 'Mechanism for Reaction 116 130 Significance of Q 117 132 Calculation of Q 118 132 Probability of the Occurrence of Reactions 119 134 Cross Section 120 134 Mean Free Path 121 136 Resonance Reactions 122 137 1 Problems 123 137 ii Section II Neutron Reactions Historical 124 137 Mass of the Neutron 125 138 Energy Classification of Neutrons 126 13P Neutron Sources 127 139 . Neutron Induced Reactions 128 140 VI 7 Paragraphpage Section II Neutron Reactions Neutron Detectors 129 146 Problems 130 147 CHAPTER 7 FISSION, FUSION, AND CHAIN REACTION Section I Fission Historical 131 148 Fission Process 132 149 Thermal Neutron Fission 133 150 Inducing Fission 134 150 Liquid Drop Theory 135 152 Fission Products 136 153 Neutrons Emitted 137 154 Energetics of Fission 138 157 Probability of Fission 139 158 Problem 140 159 Section II Fusion Definition and Source of Energy 141 159 Reactions 142 159-- Probability of Reaction 143 162 Fusion and Fission Comparis on 144 164 Sectfon III Chain Reaction and Criticality General 145 165 Increasing Criticality 146 16/ Quantitative Treatment of Criticality 147 169 Multiplication 148 173 Kinetics 149 174 Summary 150 175 CHAPTER 8 HEALTH PHYSASS Introduction 151 177 Particles and Their Range 152 177 The Human Body 153 178 Cell Composition and Response to Radiation 154 179 Units 155 180 Radiation Doge!' and Effects 156 182 Internal Radiation Hazards 157 185 Treatment of Radiation Sickness 158 188 VII Paragraph Page CHAPTER 8 HEALTH PHYSICS Personal Protective Measures 159 188 CHAPTER 9 NUCLEAR POWER Section I Reactor Principles Combustion of Combustion an- Fission 160 192 Chain Reactions 161 193 Reactor Development 162 195 Reactor Components 163 196 Reactor Identification 164 202 Pressurized Water Reactor 165 203 Sodium Cooled Reactor 166 216 Experimental Boiling Water Reactor 167 216 Homogeneous Reactor Experiment 168 216 Experimental Breeder Reactor 169 218 Problems Associated with Nuclear Power 170 219 Section II Naval Nuclear Power Plant Atomic Submarine Power Plant 171 226 Steam Plant 172 232 Maneuverability 173 233 Advantages of Nuclear Propulsion 174 233 Personnel Safety 175 235 APPENDIX I SYMBOLS 236 APPENDIX II VALUES OF PHYSICAL CONSTANTS 238 APPENDIX III USEFUL CONVERSIONS 239 APPENDIX IV TABLE OF ATOMIC MASSES 241 APPENDIX V GENERAL ELECTRIC CHART OF THE NUCLIDES 243 APPENDIX VI THE ELEMENTS 245 APPENDIX VII GLOSSARY 250 APPENDIX VIIIANSWERS TO PROBLEMS 260 VIII CHAPTER 1 MATHEMATICAL PREUMINARIES SECTION I. ALGEBRA 1. GENERAL In order to study physics, a studevt needs to recognize that nature has regular laws by which all its various phenomena operate. Many of these laws are familiar; gravity, centrifugal force, action and re- action, and others. The easiest way of describing the regularity of natural phenomena is by means of the language of mathematics. This chapter will review some of the basic concepts of algebra to give enough background for the studies' of nuclear physics which follow.