PHY3215 - Module Description

MODULE TITLE	Nuclear and High-Energy Particle Physics					CREDIT VALUE	15
MODULE CODE	PHY3215		MODULE CONVENER			Staff of Foreign Host Institution

DURATION	TERM	1	2	3	Number Students Taking Module (anticipated)		7
	WEEKS

DESCRIPTION – summary of the module content (100 words)

This module is an introduction to nuclear and particle physics.

This is a Physics Core module taken at a study-abroad host institutions. The module(s) at the host institution that contribute to this module must be approved by the Stage 3 Study Abroad Co-ordinator.

MODULE AIMS – intentions of the module

Investigations of the atomic nucleus and, of the fundamental forces that determine nuclear structure, offer fascinating insights into the nature of the physical world. The tools for probing these systems are high-energy particle accelerators and, more recently, colliding-beam systems. This module, aims to give students a broad overview of the subject matter, and encouragement to seek further information.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

describe the key properties of the atomic nucleus and explain these properties with the aid of an underlying theoretical framework;
identify sequences of particles as energy excitations of a ground state;
identify the quantum numbers that distinguish these sequences and use their conservation to analyse production processes;
state the relevant conservation laws and use them in analysing meson decays;
describe the basic weak interaction processes and the significant experiments that elucidate the nature of these;
describe the quark model and be able to construct the quark composition of particles;
explain the significance of symmetry to the multiplet structure of elementary particles;
solve problems on topics included in the syllabus;

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

identify significant applications which make use of nuclear physics, and explain the role of nuclear physics in these applications;

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

adapt to and learn from the educational frameworks and conventions of an overseas university.

SYLLABUS PLAN – summary of the structure and academic content of the module

The syllabus should match, as far as reasonably practical, the contents of PHY3052 (Nuclear and High-Energy Particle Physics) and must satisfy Institute of Physics Accreditation requirements and must not duplicate modules that have already been taken, or will be taken in the future, as part of the degree.

Nuclear Physics
1. Nuclear models and nuclear properties; detection methods.
2. Radioactive decay (α, β, γ).
3. Nuclear reactions, fission and fusion.
4. Leptons, nucleons, hadrons, quarks and baryons; symmetries and groups.
High-Energy Physics
1. QED
  Relativistic quantum theory of electromagnetic interactions; antiparticles, electrodynamics of spinless particles, Dirac equation, electrodynamics of spin-1/2 particles.
2. Partons
  Structure of hadrons, gluons.
3. QCD
  Relativistic quantum theory of the strong interactions of quarks and gluons.
4. Weak-interactions
  General structure, non-conservation of parity, massive neutrinos, neutrino experiments. Inverse β-decay. Two-neutrino experiment. CP violation in β-decay.
5. Gauge symmetries
  Gauge bosons.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities

0 hours

Guided independent study

0 hours

Placement/study abroad

150 hours

DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS