Nuclear Physics is a subject that brings shudders to many due, in part, to the enormous threat of nuclear weapons. It also has a reputation for being impenetrable subject matter. Whilst this course cannot aim to eliminate the first of these fears, it should change your perceptions of the latter. Firstly, we will learn about the discoveries of the atom and its nucleus, followed by the various ways in which unstable nuclei disintegrate: that is, radioactivity. After that you will be introduced to a model that helps understand both how, and why, some nuclei are stable, while others decay. And none of it is as hard as you might think so come and join the journey into the heart of matter.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Discovery of the atom and its nucleus
• Nuclear binding energy: E = mc2
• Radioactivity: nuclear decay processes
• The liquid drop model of the nucleus
• Stable and unstable nuclei; induced fission
• The nuclear potential well; quantum tunnelling
• Nuclear fusion; powering stars, and (maybe) us
• Inter-nuclear forces: from mesons to quarks

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the structure of atoms and nuclei
2. Understand how, and why, nuclei decay
3. Understand how the Sun gets its enormous power