MPhys Physics

Nuclear Structure and Exotic Nuclei

Follow - Up Units

PHYS40622 - Nuclear Forces and Reactions

This unit aims to introduce major components of modern research in nuclear physics and provide a suitable introduction to students who will undertake research in the subject.

On completion successful students will be able to:

1. demonstrate a knowledge of physics themes characterising recent advances in nuclear physics.
2. demonstrate knowledge and be able to explain in detail the significance of results from recent and current experiments.
3. demonstrate knowledge of and explain the physics behind the facilities and techniques used by nuclear physicists.
4. demonstrate knowledge of and apply the basic models used to describe nuclear structure.

1. Introduction and review of nuclear physics - 2 lectures

• Liquid drop model
• The deuteron

2. The nuclear shell model - 6 lectures

• Mean field Fermi gas
• Independent particle shell model and residual force
• Hartree Fock
• Effective interactions
• Two-particle states
• Spectra near closed shell
• Pairing and isospin

3. Collective Phenomena in nuclei - 3 lectures

1. Deformation
2. Vibrational and rotational motion
3. Super and hyper deformation

4. Weakly-bound quantum systems and exotic nuclei - 7 lectures

• Physics at the proton and neutron drip line
• New decays modes – proton decay, beta-delayed proton and neutron emission
• Fission limit and super-heavy elements, production, detection and properties.

5. Radioactive ion beams (RIBs) - 2 lectures

• Production by in-flight and ISOL techniques
• FAIR, SPIRAL-2 and HIE-ISOLDE facilities

6. Experimental techniques and recent results - 2 lectures

• Coulomb excitation of RIBs
• Transfer reactions in inverse kinematics
• Fragmentation experiments
• Laser spectroscopy
• Mass measurements

Feedback will be available on students’ individual written solutions to examples sheets, which will be marked, and model answers will be issued.

The recommended reading list can be found here: https://www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/leganto/public/44MAN_INST/lists/354201953270001631?auth=CAS