Department of Physics, University of
Utah
Course Number: Physics 5110 (3)
Course Title: Introduction to Nuclear
and Particle Physics
- REPRESENTATIVE TEXTBOOK
- Nuclear and Particle Physics, W.S.C. Williams (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991)
- COURSE DESCRIPTION
- An introduction to nuclear physics, including issues related to energy production and
safety, and to elementary particle physics with emphasis on key discoveries and outstanding
questions.
- PRE-REQUISITE
- PHYCS 3740
- OTHER COMMENTS
- This course is an elective for advanced undergraduate engineering and science majors and
meets a breadth requirement for Physics graduate students.
- MANDATORY TOPICS
- Topic 1:
- Radioactive Decay, Sequential Decay, Application to Dating
- Topic 2:
- Cross Sections, Diffraction, Nuclear Size
- Topic 3:
- Semi-empirical Mass Formula - Justification and Application
- Topic 4:
- Nuclear instability - Beta, Gamma, Alpha Decays
- Topic 5:
- Nuclear Collisions - Kinematics and Energetics
- Topic 6:
- Nuclear Fission for Power Generation and Safety Issues
- Topic 7:
- Nuclear Shell Model and Nuclear Spin
- Topic 8:
- Introduction to the Standard Model - Particles and Interactions
- Topic 9:
- Symmetries of the Standard Model
- Topic 10:
- Relativistic Kinematics for Particle Collisions
- Topic 11:
- Quarks and Partons
- Topic 12:
- Outstanding Issues in the Standard Model: Unification
- OPTIONAL TOPICS
- Topic 1:
- Astrophysical Connection - Big Bang, Nucleosynthesis, Supernovae
- Topic 2:
- Controlled Fusion
- Links to exisiting web page for this course:
- 5110
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Prepared by Carleton DeTar (3/2/99)