20853 - Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics

Learning outcomes

The students will acquire basic knowledge about properties and structures of nuclei as well as essential elements of the standard model of particle physics and associated phenomenology.

Course contents

Part I: Theoretical tools and standard model of elementary particles
Standard model of elementary particles
Special relativity and relativistic mechanics
Relativistic wave equations and their quanta
Feynman diagrams and visualization of fundamental interactions
Accounts ofQED, QCD, weak interactions and Higgs mechanism
Elements of group theory
Symmetries and conservation laws
Quark model
Part II: Nuclear physics
Law of radioactive decay; alpha, beta and gamma decays
C14 dating
Liquid drop model and semi-empirical mass formula of nuclei
Rutherford scattering
Optical diffraction and diffraction in wave mechanics
Cross sections, size of nuclei, form factors
Shell model, magic numbers, mean field, spin-orbit interaction
Ground and excited states in the shell model
Electric and magnetic moments
Magnetic moments of nuclei and applications (MRI)
Part III: Subnuclear physics and phenomenology
Brief history of particle physics
Standard model
Study of various electromagnetic, weak and strong processes
Hadron phenomenology and classification
Cosmic rays

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes.
K.S. Krane: "Introductory Nuclear Physics", J. Wiley.
S. Braibant, G. Giacomelli, M. Spurio: "Particelle e Interazioni Fondamentali", Springer.
K. Gottfried e V.F. Weisskopf: "Concepts of Particle Physics", Oxford Univ. Press.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Written and oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Fiorenzo Bastianelli

See the website of Giovanni Carlo Bonsignori

See the website of Nicola Semprini Cesari