Nuclear Physics 135c

Spring Term 2009

Course Description

9 units (3-0-6);
A course in the applications of quantum mechanics. An advanced course in quantum mechanics at the level of Ph125 or equivalent is considered a prerequisite. Topics in nuclear physics that highlight the applications of quantum mechanics will be discussed.

Announcements ...

Homework Assignments

• Week 1 pdf - due 4/08/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 1 & Appendix A & B
  Week 2 pdf - due 4/15/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 2

  note that for problem 2 in HW2 you should only be concerned with differing energies due to the orbital motion (this is the dominant effect over vibrations and hyperfine atomic effects).

  Week 3 pdf including SP1 - due 4/22/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 2 (again!) and Chap. 3 through sect. 3.4.1

  
  

  Week 4 pdf including SP2 & SP3 - due 4/29/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 3: 3.4 - 3.5,Chap. 4, and Chap. 5: 5.1 - 5.4
  [note: sorry about the scribbles on SP2. What I've tried to write there is S = (sigma_1 + sigma_2)/2 and T = (tau_1 + tau_2)/2]
  Hint for SP3: with del = gradient, d=partial, note that delf = df/dr if f=f(r). This leads to a term del(sigma-dot-rhat). This leads to a term where a useful identity is in Jackson's front cover (I didn't see it in Griffith's).
  

  Week 5 pdf - due 5/06/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 5
  [Note: Typo in Bertulani problem 5.6: 93_Ni should be 93_Nb]
  

  Week 6 pdf - due 5/13/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 8
  

  Week 7 pdf - due 5/20/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 8 again & Phenix paper at bottom of webpage
  

  Week 8 pdf - due 5/27/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 10.1 - 10.6
  

  Week 9 pdf - due 6/3/09 Reading: Bertulani: Chap. 12.5

Course Syllabus

• Quantum Mechanics Preliminaries
• The Two Nucleon Problem: The Deuteron
• The Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction
• Nucleon and Nuclear Models
• Weak Interactions & Neutrinos
• Nuclear Astrophysics
  

Reading Materials

• Nuclear Physics in a Nutshell C. A. Bertulani - (Textbook)
• Introductory Nuclear Physics Samuel S. M. Wong - (Reference)
• Structure of the Nucleus M.A. Preston and R.K. Bhaduri - (Reference)
• Theoretical Nuclear Physics A. deShalit and H. Feshbach - (Reference)

Course Grading Grades will be determined based on the following percentages: HW: 100% Note that while collaboration is encouraged, HW should be your own work (e.g. you should be able to reproduce a Mathematica notebook on your own) Late Homework Policy: For one time only - up to one week late = no penalty Additional late HW = no credit (except for Dean endorsed medical emergency)

Links

• Caltech Library System Reference Desk.
• Particle Data Group PDG on the web.
• Clebsch-Gordan Coeffs. and Y_lm's
• Wong App. B part 1
• Wong App. B part 2
• Wong App. B part 3
• Useful Clebsch Table (Wong A-1)
• RHIC-Phenix results
• Double beta-decay candidates list (from Boehm & Vogel: Physics of Massive Neutrinos)

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