Objectives

• be familiar with the shorthand of a nuclear reaction
• understand how different accelerators operate, including the Van de Graff and the cyclotron
• explain what is meant by entrance and exit channels of a nuclear reaction and how these are related to elastic and inelastic scattering
• discuss the purpose in measuring experimental cross sections and set up the diagram of a beam scattering off a target into a differential solid angle dW
• determine the differential and total cross sections of a scattering experiment
• use conservation of energy to determine the energy release of a reaction
• define threshold energy and calculate it for a given reaction
• relate the lifetime of a nucleus to its energy width
• discuss the neutron capture reaction including what affects the probability that it will be captured
• define fission and fusion
• note the similarities and differences between spontaneous and induced fission
• calculate the ground-state Q value of a fission reaction
• calculate the excitation energy of a given compound nuclei
• describe the processes that lead to a subcritical, critical and supercritical chain reaction respectively
• be familiar with the necessary components for a controlled nuclear reactor and the function of each
• know how a breeder reactor produces more fissoinable fuel than it consumes
• identify and explain the two main fusion cycles that produce energy in stars
• list the three main conditions required for controlled nuclear fusion, and which ones have been reached
• talk about what the confinement factor, nt, says
• describe the main ideas of magnetic and inertial confinement
• be familiar with some of the many applications of nuclear science