UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

BSc and MSci EXAMINATION 2004

For Internal Students of Royal Holloway

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD TO BEGIN

PH2510A: ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS Time Allowed: TWO hours

Answer QUESTION ONE and 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 CASIO fx85WA Calculators or CASIO fx85MS Calculators are permitted

PH2510A/44 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2004 2003-04

GENERAL PHYSICAL CONSTANTS Permeability of vacuum Permittivity of vacuum

0 0
1/40

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

4 10-7 8.85 10-12 9.0 109 3.00 108 1.60 10-19 9.11 10-31 1.66 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.76 1011 6.63 10-34 1.05 10-34 1.38 10-23 5.67 10-8 8.31 6.02 1023 6.67 10-11 9.81 2.24 10-2 1.01 105

H m-1 F m-1 m F-1 m s-1 C kg kg kg kg C kg-1 Js Js J K-1 W m-2 K-4 J mol-1 K-1 mol-1 N m2 kg-2 m s-2 m3 N m-2

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 mp mn e/me h = = h/2

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

R NA G g

P0

MATHEMATICAL CONSTANTS e 2.718 3.142 loge10 2.303

 page 1

PH2510A
PART MARKS

ANSWER ONLY FIVE sections of Question One. You are advised not to spend more than 40 minutes answering Question One. 1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) State the Pauli Exclusion Principle and briefly discuss its relation to the symmetry of the eigenfunctions describing multi-electron systems. Calculate the energy of the Fe (Z=26) K X-ray line in eV, given that the ionisation energy of hydrogen is 13.6 eV. Explain what is the Land interval rule. Explain how non-conservation of parity has been demonstrated in beta decay. In relation to radioactive decay, define the terms (i) decay constant, (ii) half-life and (iii) mean-lifetime. How many half-lives have to pass to reduce the activity of a sample by a factor 6? Discuss the conditions necessary to establish a nuclear chain reaction. State the four-factor formula and explain the factors in the formula. [4] [4] [4] [4]

[4]

(f)

[4]

TURN OVER

 page 2

PH2510A
PART MARKS

2.

(a)

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

=
(b)

e G L. 2 me

[3]

State the quantum mechanical values for the magnitude and the zcomponent of the magnetic moment of the hydrogen atom associated with (i) (ii) electron orbital angular momentum. electron spin.
[4] [2] [4]

Hence state the magnitude and z-component of the total magnetic dipole moment of hydrogen associated with the electron in its ground state. (c) (d) Describe the basic features of a Stern-Gerlach apparatus for determining atomic magnetic dipole moments. In a Stern-Gerlach experiment a collimated beam of hydrogen atoms emitted from an oven at a temperature of 600K, passes between the poles of a magnet for a distance of 0.6m before being detected at a photographic plate a further 1.0m away. Derive the expression for the observed mean beam separation, and determine its value given that the magnetic field gradient is 20T.m-1. (Assume the atoms to be in the ground state and their mean kinetic energy to be 2kT; Bohr magneton B=9.2710-24 J.T-1)

[7]

TURN OVER

 page 3

PH2510A
PART MARKS

3. (a)

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 use the spectroscopic notation where appropriate. Name each of these weaker interactions, and explain their origin. (Order the interactions by decreasing strength.). In each case indicate clearly the dependence of the split energy levels on the relevant quantum number. Explain what is meant by LS coupling;

[4]

(b)

[7] [3]

(c)

The spectral line arising from the 2P1/2 2S1/2 transition in hydrogen is split into several separate lines in the presence of a weak external magnetic field of magnitude B. (d) Name the effect responsible for this and sketch the corresponding energy level diagram and the resulting spectrum. Calculate the frequencies of the allowed transitions. (Express your results in terms of the frequency, 0, of the transition in the absence of an external magnetic field.) [Assume the energy splitting is E = g B B mj, where B is the Bohr magneton and the Land g-factor is given by g = 1+ j ( j + 1) + s ( s + 1) l (l + 1) ] 2 j ( j + 1)

[6]

TURN OVER

 page 4

PH2510A
PART MARKS

4.

The semi-empirical mass formula for an atom of mass number A and atomic number Z may be expressed as

M ( A, Z ) = Amn + Z ( m(1H ) mn ) a1 A + a 2 A2 / 3 + a3 Z ( Z 1) A 1 / 3 + a 4 ( A 2 Z ) 2 A1 + a5 A 3 / 4 (a) (b) (c) Explain the physical basis for each term in this equation. Given that a3 = 0.72 MeV/c2, estimate the nuclear unit radius, R0. Sketch the binding energy per nucleon as a function of the number of nucleons in stable nuclei. Use this to explain how nuclear energy may be released in fusion and fission reactions.
52 Given the atomic masses m( 24 Cr ) = 51.94051 u and 26 52 m(12 Mg ) = 25.98260 u , would energy have to be supplied to split 24 Cr in two identical fragments or would energy be released in this process? How much energy? ( 1 u = 931.5 MeV/c2)

[7] [4]

[4]

(d)

[2] [3]

(e)

What are magic numbers of nucleons? Explain how they can be accounted for.

TURN OVER

 page 5

PH2510A
PART MARKS

5.

(a) (b) (c)

Name three processes by which gamma rays can interact with matter. Write down the basic reaction behind each process. Describe in detail the principle of operation of the thallium-activated sodium iodide NaI(Tl) scintillating crystal in a gamma-ray detector. Describe the function of the following components of a gamma ray spectrometer: (i) the photocathode and (ii) the dynode chain, in the photomultiplier, and (iii) the multi-channel analyzer (MCA). Sketch a typical spectrum that would be observed for mono-energetic gamma rays of energy E0 using such a spectrometer. Label all features of the spectrum. (Assume that E0 > 2mec2, where me is the electron mass)

[3] [6]

[3]

(d)

[4]

(e)

Explain the origin of (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) the Compton continuum. the Compton edge. escape peaks. sum peaks.
[4]

END