Course Info.#
The Nuclear Physics course will provide an introduction to the field of nuclear physics. Nuclei are the building blocks of everything we experience.
We will study their the theory behind their structure and properties and review some of the applications of nuclear physics. The course is organized in to 11 units with a rough aim to cover one unit each week
Unit 1 : Introduction
Unit 2 : Liquid Drop Model & SEMF
Unit 3 : The Shell Model
Unit 4 : Properties of Nuclei
Unit 5 : Excited States and Gamma Decay
Unit 6 : Alpha and Beta Decay
Unit 7 : Nuclear Reactions
Unit 8 : Compound Reactions
Unit 9 : Neutron Physics
Unit 10 : Nuclear Medicine
Unit 11 : Nuclear Power
Note that some of the more complex units later in the course (e.g. reactions) span over multiple weeks.
Course Organization#
The course consists of eleven units, each corresponding to about two weeks of learning. There will be two lectures per week with the relevant material released each week following the timetable above. The final week (week 12) will be dedicated to a revision of the material.
Background knowledge#
Essential concepts will be reviewed, however some background knowledge is assumed from your previous physics studies. In particular:
Second year subatomic physics (PHY21004 or PHY251)
Third year particle physics (PHY304)
Atomic physics (PHY332)
Reading list#
We will be referring to two main textbooks:
Martin. Nuclear and particle physics. Available online
Krane. Nuclear Physics. The full book is available in the library. We will use chapter 5, which is available online
The textbooks and additional reading material is available in the “Resource List” on the left of the blackboard page. Additional material, such as worked solutions and other examples will be released during the semester in the form of notes and videos.
Worked Problems and Expectations#
This year the worked problems have been split up to better reflect the different aspects of learning outcomes we will be assessing in the homeworks and exams. These are split into
Core Knowledge : Fundamental knowledge on nuclear properties and reactions.
Method : Calculations based on approaches considered in the course, considering potentially different nuclei or reactions than those reviewed in the lectures.
Application : Demonstrated understanding of how the results of prior calculations affect applications or conclusions.
An example of this may be :
Core Knowledge : Knowing that the binding energy of a nucleus relates to how stable it is.
Method : Being able to calculate the binding energy release when a given nucleus undergoes radioactive decay.
Application : Demonstrated consideration of what excited states a daughter nucleus can be in given the calculated binding energy release of this radioactive decay.
In this course a key emphasis is placed on method and application, and for high module mark we strongly advise practicing application of the core knowledge and methods discussed to unseen problems from additional materials such as past exams and additional questions in the reading list.
Assessment#
The module is assessed by two components, homeworks and the end-of-semester examination.
Two homeworks will be marked and returned, with comments.
The total homework mark counts 15% towards the module.
The full timetable of the assessments is available in the Assessment tab on blackboard.
Feedback#
Comments, suggestions, or required clarifications on the course lectures or these notes are always welcome.
The general module feedback form can be found on the blackboard page.
Alternatively, just send us an email or pop by my office (E41, Hicks Building).
Timetable#
The 2025/26 version of this course is scheduled on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. An approximate timeline of the topics we will cover is as follows.
Week |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Unit |
Topic |
Lecturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
10/02/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 1 |
Introduction |
Patrick |
1 |
11/02/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 1 |
Introduction |
Patrick |
2 |
17/02/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 2 |
Liquid Drop |
Patrick |
3 |
18/02/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 3 |
Liquid Drop |
Patrick |
3 |
24/02/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 3 |
Shell Model |
Davide |
3 |
25/02/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 3 |
Shell Model |
Davide |
4 |
03/03/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 4 |
Nuclear Spin Moments |
Davide |
4 |
04/03/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 4 |
Nuclear Spin Moments |
Davide |
5 |
10/03/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 5 |
Collective Excited States |
Davide |
5 |
11/03/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 5 |
Collective Excited States |
Davide |
6 |
17/03/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 6 |
Radioactive Decay |
Davide |
6 |
18/03/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 6 |
Radioactive Decay |
Davide |
7 |
24/03/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 7 |
Reactions |
Davide |
7 |
25/03/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 7 |
Reactions |
Davide |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
EASTER |
– |
8 |
21/04/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 8 |
Compound Reactions |
Patrick |
8 |
22/04/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 8 |
Compound Reactions |
Patrick |
9 |
28/04/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 9 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Patrick |
9 |
29/04/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 9 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Patrick |
10 |
05/05/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 10 |
Neutron Physics |
Patrick |
10 |
06/05/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 10 |
Neutron Physics |
Patrick |
11 |
12/05/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 11 |
Nuclear Power |
Patrick |
11 |
13/05/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 11 |
Nuclear Power |
Patrick |
12 |
19/05/26 |
17:00 |
AT-LT5 |
Week 12 |
No lecture – Reading Week |
– |
12 |
20/05/26 |
10:00 |
AT-LT6 |
Week 12 |
No lecture – Reading Week |
– |
– |
TBC |
TBC |
TBC |
Revision |
Revision Lecture 1 (Theory) |
Davide |
– |
TBC |
TBC |
TBC |
Revision |
Revision Lecture 2 (Applications) |
Patrick |