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Atomic & Nuclear Physics

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UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
i

MSci/BSc EXAMINATION 2008

For Internal Students of Royal Holloway

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD T O BEGIN

PH2510: ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS

Time Allowed: TWO hours Answer QUESTION Iand TWO other questions. No credit will be given for attempting any further questions.

Approximate part-marks for questions are given in the right-hand margin

Only CASlO fx85WA Calculators or CASlO fx85MS Calculators are permitted

O Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2008

GIENERAL PHYSI:CALCONSTANTS Permeability of vacuum Permittivity of vacuum

G I

1147t@ Speed of light in vacuum Elementary charge Electron (rest) mass Unified atomic mass constant Proton rest mass Neutron rest mass Ratio of electronic charge to mass Planck constant
C

e
me

mu= u m p

mn
elm,
h

Boltzmann constant Stefan-Boltzmann constant Gas constant Avogadro constant Gravitational constant Acceleration due to gravity Volume of one mole of an ideal gas at STP One standard atmosphere

MATHEMATICAL CONSTANTS
e E 2.718

~ ~ 3 . 1 4 2 logJOz2.303

- page 1 -

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PART MARKS

ANSWER ONLY FIVE sections of Question One. You are advised not to spend more than 40 minutes answering Question One. 1. (a) Calculate the wavelength of the Mo (Z=42) K, X-ray line given that the ionisation energy of hydrogen is 13.6 eV. State any assumptions you make. (b) Write down a valid eigenfunction for a system of two indistinguishable, non-interacting particles of spin %, in terms of the eigenfunctions of the individual particles. State the Pauli Exclusion Principle and discuss its relation to the symmetry of the eigenfbnction of such a two-particle system. Calculate the energy spacing between the components of the ground state energy level of hydrogen when split by a magnetic field of 1.0 T. What frequency of electromagnetic radiation could cause a transition between these levels? What is the specific name given to this effect?

[41

141

(c)

[dl

(d) Given the atomic masses m($Cr) = 5 1.94051u and 52 m ( : , 6 ~= ~ 25.98260 ) u ,would you have to supply energy to Cr to split it in two identical fragments or would energy be released in this process? How much energy? (1 u = 93 1.5 M ~ v / c ~ )

, ,

[41

(e)
(f)

Explain how parity non-conservation was demonstrated in beta decay.

The sketch below shows the typical response of a detector to monoenergetic y-rays with an energy E, z 2m,c2. Name all the labelled features (a-e) in the spectrum and explain their origin.

[41

[dl

Energy, E

TURN OVER

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PART MARKS

2.

(a)

Show that an electron in a classical circular orbit of angular momentum i i given by around a nucleus has a magnetic dipole moment ,

Define all the symbols you use in your derivation. (b) Write down the expressions for the total and the z component of the magnetic dipole moment of the hydrogen atom, associated with (i) electron orbital angular momentum, (ii) electron spin, in terms of the relevant quantum numbers. (c) What was the Stern-Gerlach experiment designed to measure? Describe the principle behind the experiment, as well as the observed result. Include a sketch of a typical experimental arrangement. Show that in a Stern-Gerlach experiment
[4]

141

(d)

where d and D are the magnet length and the distance between the magnet and the screen respectively. Define all symbols you use in your derivation and state any assumptions you make. (e)

PI
121

Is the nuclear magnetic moment expected to contribute to the result of the experiment? Give reasons for your answer.

TURN OVER

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PART MARKS

Consider an atom for which LS coupling is valid, with two optically active electrons in a 2p13p1 configuration: Draw an energy level diagram for the atom, showing the successive splittings induced by the interactions weaker than the Hartree interaction. Label all the energy levels with the relevant quantum numbers and the appropriate spectroscopic notation. Name each of these weaker interactions, and explain their origin. (Order the interactions by decreasing strength.) In each case indicate clearly and explain the dependence of the split energy levels on the relevant quantum number. Knowing that the energy splitting caused by the spin-orbit interaction is proportional to S .L ,show that the separation in energy of adjacent levels in a multiplet is proportional to the total angular momentum quantum number of the level of higher energy in the case of LS coupling (i.e., Land6 Interval Rule).
4

141

171

[51

The spacings between adjacent energy levels of increasing energy in a j ') quantum triplet are 24x lo4 eV and 40x lo4 eV. What are the (s ', 1: nos. of each of the three levels?

[41

The semi-empirical mass formula for the binding energy of a nucleus of atomic mass number A and atomic number Z may be expressed as

Explain the physical basis for each term in this equation. In your answer state the name given to each term and whether the respective constant a, is positive or negative. Complete the following P decay reaction: 27 Si -t :;Al+ ? Given that the mass difference in the atomic masses of 2 7 ~ iand 2 7 ~ is 1 5 . 1 6 6 ~ u compute the difference in binding energy. Assuming this binding energy difference to arise entirely from the difference in Coulomb energy, compute the nuclear unit radius Roand and 2 7 ~ .1 then estimate the nuclear radius of 2 7 ~ i What are "magic numbers" of nucleons? Explain how they can be accounted for.

,,

[71

141

[51

[dl

TURN OVER

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pH25 10
PART MARKS

(a)

State an example of a neutron-induced fission reaction and indicate the approximate energy yield. Sketch the mass distribution of the fission fragments and comment on the likelihood of symmetric fission. What is a nuclear pile? In the context of a nuclear chain reaction in a uranium pile explain the meaning of all the symbols in the four-factor formula

(b)

and state the condition for a sustained chain reaction. (c) Explain what is neutron leakage in a nuclear pile and how it modifies the four-factor formula. What is the implication of leakage for the size of the pile?

(d) Show that the number of thermal neutrons at time t in a chain reaction is given by N(t) = No e (k-l)r IT

and explain the meaning of all the symbols in the formula.

In a slightly subcritical ( k = 0.9995) nuclear pile how long does it take for the number of neutrons to decrease to 5% of its original value? (Assume z = 10-2 s.)

END