PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS

PHGN 422: Lecture 3: Nuclear Radii, Masses, and Binding Energies

Prof. Kyle Leach

August 31, 2021 Slide 1 PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Last Week.....

• The is a very dense, positively charged object composed of and

• Nuclei are organized according to their Z and N values on the Nuclear Chart (or Chart of the )

• Nuclei are held together by the strong interaction, and the is attractive at short range, but repulsive at very short distances (we will talk about why today)

• So...back to our electron scattering experiments!

Slide 2— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Electron Scattering on Nuclei

Source: Fig. 3.1 (pg. 46) – Introductory Nuclear Physics, Ken Krane

Slide 3— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Light Scattering on an Opaque Object

Source: Department of Physics, Brock University

Slide 4— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Can This Tell Us About the Nucleus?

Opaque Object Nuclear

Slide 5— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nuclear Charge Distribution

Source: Fig. 3.4 (pg. 49) – Introductory Nuclear Physics, Ken Krane

Slide 6— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

• If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

• The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

• If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

• These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

• If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

• There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

• Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume)

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume) • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS What Does This Tell Us About The Nucleus? 1 The boundary of the nucleus is not sharp, but displays a probability distribution • The angular distributions from elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei do not show sharp minima • These minima become even less sharp with increasing Z

2 The central nuclear charge density is nearly the same for all nuclei • There is no dependence on the density of charge as a function of Z • Nucleons do not seem to preferentially organize based on type (ie. protons or neutrons)

3 The overall matter density of all nucleons in the nucleus must therefore be constant as well? (number of nucleons per unit volume) • If this is true, we should be able to determine what the density of nuclear matter is • Also, can we find a generic way of obtaining the matter radius of a given nucleus?

Slide 7— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Density of Nuclear Matter Well, to start...let’s assume that the nucleus is a perfect sphere. From here, we can estimate the volume and perhaps the density...

Proton (π) + + +

Neutron (ν) +

4 V = πR3 3

Slide 8— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nuclear Matter Radius

If the nuclear matter density is also indeed constant for all nuclei: 4 V = πR3 ≈ constant 3

Then, we can relate the radius of a nucleus to the number of nucleons A: R ∝ A1/3

To determine this proportionality constant, we can relate the total nuclear matter radius R to the matter radius of the individual nucleons R0

Slide 9— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nuclear Matter Radius The nucleons can also be considered spherical:

Therefore: 4 4 πR3 = A · πR3 3 3 0 1/3 =⇒ R = R0 · A

Experimentally we know that R0 ≈ 1.2 fm. So, the nuclear matter radius is R = 1.2 · A1/3! Further detailed discussion on this topic can be found in Chapter 3.1 of Krane.

Slide 10— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

• Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3 • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3 • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

• Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3 • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3 • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

• Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3 • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3 • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

• Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3 • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

• Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

• Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3 • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

• Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3 • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3 • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

• Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3 • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3 • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Nature of Nuclear Matter One of the most remarkable conclusions from all of this is that nuclear matter does not seem to change density regardless of the size of the nucleus!! In other words, the number of nucleons per unit of volume is roughly constant for all nuclei.

How dense is nuclear matter (comparatively speaking). Well....

• Sea Water: 1.0 × 103 kg/m3 • Tin Oxide: 1.6 × 103 kg/m3

• Steel: 1.1 × 104 kg/m3 • Lead: 2.5 × 104 kg/m3 • Core of the Sun: 1.5 × 105 kg/m3

• Nuclear Matter: 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3

Slide 11— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Question: What if the nucleus were nearly 20 orders of magnitude larger?

Slide 12— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Question: What if the nucleus were nearly 20 orders of magnitude larger? Well, this is not hypothetical....these are known as stars

Source: NASA.gov

Slide 12— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Question: What if the nucleus were nearly 20 orders of magnitude larger? Well, this is not hypothetical....these are known as neutron stars

Source: NASA.gov Slide 12— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Bound Nuclear Systems Limits of Nuclear Existence

Putting aside neutron stars for now, let us take a look at the limits of what nuclei can exist, and how we define it.

Slide 13— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Atomic Mass and

Slide 14— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS The Atomic Mass and Nuclear Binding Energy

As we briefly mentioned last week, the mass of a given atom is not simply the sum of neutron, , and electron masses, ie:

Z ! A 2 2 2 2 X M(ZXN )c 6= Z · mpc + N · mnc − Z · mec − Bi i=1

For a nucleus to exist (ie. be a bound system), the following constraint must be satisfied (neglecting the electrons for a moment):

A 2 2 2 M(ZXN )c < Z · mpc + N · mnc

For the nucleons to be bound inside of the nucleus, there needs to be some energy difference. We call this the Binding Energy. We’ll define what we mean on the chalkboard....

Slide 15— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Mass Excess

Since the atomic mass in MeV/c2 can become a cumbersome way of dealing with larger nuclei (ie. m(208Pb) = 193 733 MeV/c2) We can define a useful experimental mass value relative to our definition of the atomic mass unit in Lecture 1 (1u = 931.502 MeV/c2).

A 2 2 2 m(ZXN )c = (A · u)c + ∆c

2 A 2 =⇒ ∆c = m(ZXN )c − A) · u

Where ∆ is referred to as the Mass Excess or Mass Defect, and helps us to quantify how much a specific nucleus deviates from our approximation of the atomic mass unit.

• It can be either positive or negative, as long as we satisfy A 2 2 2 M(ZXN )c < Z · mpc + N · mnc .

Slide 16— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics • Remember, we say mass 16 for 16O, but this is not exactly true.

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS

Example: What is the Mass Excess (∆) for 16O in MeV?

First we’ll start with the experimentally measured mass of 16O in u:

Slide 17— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS

Example: What is the Mass Excess (∆) for 16O in MeV?

First we’ll start with the experimentally measured mass of 16O in u: • Remember, we say mass 16 for 16O, but this is not exactly true.

Slide 17— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS

Example: What is the Mass Excess (∆) for 16O in MeV?

First we’ll start with the experimentally measured mass of 16O in u: • Remember, we say mass 16 for 16O, but this is not exactly true.

A 2 m(ZXN )c = 15.994915 u

Slide 17— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS

Example: What is the Mass Excess (∆) for 16O in MeV?

First we’ll start with the experimentally measured mass of 16O in u: • Remember, we say mass 16 for 16O, but this is not exactly true.

A 2 m(ZXN )c = 15.994915 u

Now solve for the mass excess ∆, (recall 1 u = 931.505 MeV/c2)

A ∆ = m(ZXN − A) · u = (15.994915 − 16) · 931.505 MeV = −4.737 MeV

Slide 17— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding

The Proton and Neutron Separation Energies (Sp and Sn)

Analogous to atomic ionization energies, these separation energies can tell us about the binding strength for an individual . We can define these on the chalkboard:

Slide 18— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding

The Proton and Neutron Separation Energies (Sp and Sn)

Analogous to atomic ionization energies, these separation energies can tell us about the binding strength for an individual nucleon. We can define these on the chalkboard:

We can also look at the trends of how nuclear binding changes as a function of the A

Slide 18— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A)

Slide 19— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics 2 The most bound nuclei are in the region of A ∼ 56 − 62

4 3 Some structure in this curve also exists (particularly for He) that results from quantum effects of the nucleus. We will discuss the shell structure of nuclei in a couple of weeks.

4 Nuclei on the left of the peak can release energy by joining together ()

5 Nuclei on the right of the peak can release energy by breaking apart ()

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A) This brings us to some other revelations about the way nuclei behave:

1 Most nuclei have almost exactly the same BE/A, which is roughly 8 MeV/A. This means the nuclear force saturates such that only each nucleon can interact with a few of its neighbours. Recall that the nuclear force is strongly attractive ONLY at short distances (∼ 1 fm).

Slide 20— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics 4 3 Some structure in this curve also exists (particularly for He) that results from quantum effects of the nucleus. We will discuss the shell structure of nuclei in a couple of weeks.

4 Nuclei on the left of the peak can release energy by joining together (Nuclear Fusion)

5 Nuclei on the right of the peak can release energy by breaking apart (Nuclear Fission)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A) This brings us to some other revelations about the way nuclei behave:

1 Most nuclei have almost exactly the same BE/A, which is roughly 8 MeV/A. This means the nuclear force saturates such that only each nucleon can interact with a few of its neighbours. Recall that the nuclear force is strongly attractive ONLY at short distances (∼ 1 fm).

2 The most bound nuclei are in the region of A ∼ 56 − 62

Slide 20— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics 4 Nuclei on the left of the peak can release energy by joining together (Nuclear Fusion)

5 Nuclei on the right of the peak can release energy by breaking apart (Nuclear Fission)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A) This brings us to some other revelations about the way nuclei behave:

1 Most nuclei have almost exactly the same BE/A, which is roughly 8 MeV/A. This means the nuclear force saturates such that only each nucleon can interact with a few of its neighbours. Recall that the nuclear force is strongly attractive ONLY at short distances (∼ 1 fm).

2 The most bound nuclei are in the region of A ∼ 56 − 62

4 3 Some structure in this curve also exists (particularly for He) that results from quantum effects of the nucleus. We will discuss the shell structure of nuclei in a couple of weeks.

Slide 20— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics 5 Nuclei on the right of the peak can release energy by breaking apart (Nuclear Fission)

PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A) This brings us to some other revelations about the way nuclei behave:

1 Most nuclei have almost exactly the same BE/A, which is roughly 8 MeV/A. This means the nuclear force saturates such that only each nucleon can interact with a few of its neighbours. Recall that the nuclear force is strongly attractive ONLY at short distances (∼ 1 fm).

2 The most bound nuclei are in the region of A ∼ 56 − 62

4 3 Some structure in this curve also exists (particularly for He) that results from quantum effects of the nucleus. We will discuss the shell structure of nuclei in a couple of weeks.

4 Nuclei on the left of the peak can release energy by joining together (Nuclear Fusion)

Slide 20— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A) This brings us to some other revelations about the way nuclei behave:

1 Most nuclei have almost exactly the same BE/A, which is roughly 8 MeV/A. This means the nuclear force saturates such that only each nucleon can interact with a few of its neighbours. Recall that the nuclear force is strongly attractive ONLY at short distances (∼ 1 fm).

2 The most bound nuclei are in the region of A ∼ 56 − 62

4 3 Some structure in this curve also exists (particularly for He) that results from quantum effects of the nucleus. We will discuss the shell structure of nuclei in a couple of weeks.

4 Nuclei on the left of the peak can release energy by joining together (Nuclear Fusion)

5 Nuclei on the right of the peak can release energy by breaking apart (Nuclear Fission)

Slide 20— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Characteristics of Nuclear Binding Binding Energy per Nucleon (BE/A)

Source: The Open University

Slide 21— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Nuclear Fusion in Stars

Source: A.C. Phillips, The Physics of Stars, 2nd Edition (Wiley, 1999)

Slide 22— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Nuclear Fission in Reactors

Source: Department of Physics, UC Davis

Slide 23— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics PHGN 4 2 2 : NUCLEARPHYSICS Next Class...

Reading Before Next Class

• Sections 3.2 and 3.3 (first part) in Krane

Next Class Topics

• More on binding energy

• Ways to release of energy in a nuclear decay or reaction • The experimental determination of atomic masses...and why do we care?

Slide 24— Prof. Kyle Leach— PHGN 422: Nuclear Physics