An Introduction to Nuclear Physics

This introduction to nuclear physics provides an excellent basis for a core undergraduate course in this area. The authors show how simple models can provide an understanding of the properties of nuclei, both in their ground and excited states, and of the nature of nuclear reactions. They include chapters on nuclear fission, its application in nuclear power reactors, the role of nuclear physics in energy production and nucleosynthesis in stars. This new edition contains several additional topics: muon-catalyzed fusion, the nuclear and neutrino physics of supernovae, neutrino mass and neutrino oscillations, and the biological effects of radiation. A knowledge of basic quantum mechanics and special relativity is assumed. Each chapter ends with a set of problems accompanied by outline solutions.

Author Biography

Noel Cottingham is a theoretician working in the HH Wills Physics Laboratory at the University of Bristol. He is also a visiting professor at the Université Pierre at Marie Curie, Paris. Derek Greenwood is a theoretician working in the HH Wills Physics Laboratory at the University of Bristol.