Introduction To Nuclear Engineering And Ionizing Radiation

This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on rad

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.

Instructor : Prof. Michael Short

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Video Lectures

Description: A brief summary of the discovery of forms of ionizing radiation up to the 1932 discovery of the neutron. We introduce mass-energy equivalence for the first time and explain how these cutting-edge experiments (for their time) conclusively proved the existence of high-energy, ionizing radiation.

Description: A survey of the different types of technologies which use ionizing radiation, including for energy, medicine, safety, resource exploration, and diagnostics. We briefly preview the physical principles behind each one, setting the stage for the next three months of detailed fundamentals.

Description: Today we formally introduce the concept that mass is energy, by exploring trends in nuclear stability. We introduce the notation we’ll use to describe nuclei and their reactions throughout the rest of the course, and introduce nuclear binding energy, analogous to chemical binding energy. We also introduce cross sections, or per-particle nuclear reaction probabilities, showing how a simple, first-order differential equation can result in their definition.

Description: We formally define the binding energy of a nucleus and check our definition with examples from the KAERI Table of Nuclides. We imagine that a nucleus is akin to a droplet of liquid, and construct a semi-empirical mass formula to predict its stability given any number of protons and neutrons. We then construct mass parabolas to explore which nucleus is most stable given a certain number of protons or neutrons. This helps us understand mathematically why certain isotopes undergo which types of radioactive decay, and why certain isotopes are stable.

Description: We continue constructing example mass parabolas to explore nuclear stability, and define some of the ways in which nuclei can decay to become more stable. The concept of half-life is introducedβ€”the time which it takes for half of an amount of one isotope to decay. We also explore superheavy elements, predicted to exist beyond those which we know by their increasing half-lives with increasing mass.

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