Fundamentals of Nuclear and Particle Physics

(Special Topics: Physics 3930B)

 

►        This is the main course web site for Physics 3930B.

►        Click here to go to the official course information and description page.

►        From time to time, as the need arises, I will post announcements here relating to the course, information about exams and assignments, TA support, and the course notes.

 

General Information

 

Instructor:                Dr. Mike Cottam

                                    Office:              PAB Room 118

Email:                        cottam@uwo.ca

                                    Office phone:  519 661-2111,  x86289

 

Web site:                   http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~mgc/

 

Class times:             At 9:30 to 10:30 am, on Tuesday in Room UC 286 and Thursday in PAB Room 117, and at 2:30 to 3:30 pm in PAB Room 117.

 

TA:                             Arash Akbari-Sharbaf (PAB Room 11)

 

Textbook:                 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics (2nd edn.), A. Das and T. Ferbel (World Scientific. The course is only loosely based on this book, and the appropriate chapters and sections will be specified as the course progresses.

 

Course Content

The provisional outline of the course is as follows:

            A.  Nuclear and particle phenomenology

            B.  Models for nuclear structure

            C.  Nuclear radiation and nuclear energy loss processes in media

            D.  Properties and classification of particles and their interactions

            E.  Symmetries and symmetry violations

            F.  Quarks and the Standard Model

 

Course Evaluation

The evaluation is as follows: 30% (in total) is for the Assignments; 30% (in total) is for the Midterms; and 40% is for the Final Exam.

 

Information about Exam and Assignments

►        The arrangements (date and time) for the Final Exam are made by the Registrar’s office. It will be a written exam in the regular exam period. No textbooks or course notes (or stored information on an electronic device) are permitted.

 

►        There will be two short Midterms held during regular class sessions. The dates are:

            Midterm 1   (on Thursday February 14)

            Midterm 2   (on Thursday March 21)

           

►        There will be three Assignments during the term. Announcements will be made nearer the time. The distribution dates will be roughly as indicated below. You will then have at least one week to complete the assignments. The marked assignments will later be returned to you.

                        Assignment 1   (distributed on January 29; solutions are due February 5; download here)

                        Assignment 2   (distributed on February 26; solutions are due March 5; download here)

                        Assignment 3   (to be distributed around March 28; solutions due April 4)

                         

Course Notes

►       I will post outline notes here (as PDF files) as the term proceeds. These notes are essentially reformatted versions of material shown on the Powerpoint slides during the classes. It is important that you attend the classes and take your own additional notes, since there will be extra material to be discussed in class and problem solving done on the board.

            Section A with Appendix A1 (available here); Appendix A2 (available here)

            Section B (available here)

            Section C (available here); Appendix C1 (available here)

            Section D

            Section E

            Section F

 

►       Later I will post suggestions here for worked examples and problems. These are for your own study purposes; they are optional and there is no credit assigned for working through the examples and problems.

 

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