Tutorial Sheet III - Nuclear Physics & Relativity

PH 201 P HYSICS (B.T ECH . - II Y EAR ) S PRING 2013

1. Calculate the binding energy of 126 52 Te, given its mass to be 125.903322 u. 2. What is the energy require to remove the least tightly bound neutron from 39 M (40 20 Ca) = 39.962589 u and M (20 Ca) = 38.970691 u .
40 Ca 20

[Ans. 1.066 GeV] ? given the masses [Ans. 15.6 MeV]

3. Assuming the nuclear radius as r = r0 A1/3 , r0 = 1.2 fm and u = 1.66 1027 kg, calculate the mass density of 12 C nucleus. [Ans. 2.3 1017 kg/m3 ] 4. (a) Calculate the electrostatic energy of a charge Q distributed uniformly throughout a sphere of radius R. [Ans. 3Q2 /(5R)]
27 (b) Since 27 14 Si and 13 Al are mirror nuclei, their ground states are identical except for charge. If their mass difference is 6 MeV, estimate their radius (neglecting the proton-neutron mass difference). [Ans. 3.88 fm]

5. What is the Coulomb repulsion energy of the two protons in 2 2 He if it is assumed that they are separated by a nuclear radius? [Ans. 0.71 MeV] 6. Mirror nuclei have the same odd value of A, but the values of N and Z are interchanged. Determine the mass difference between two mirror nuclei which have N and Z differing by one unit. [Ans. m p mn + a3 A2/3 ]
23 7. The masses of 23 11 Na and 12 Mg are 22.989771 u and 22.994125 u, respectively. From these data determine the constant a3 in the semiempirical mass formula. [Ans. 0.598 MeV]

8. The nuclear binding energy may be approximated by the empirical expression B.E. = a1 A a2 A2/3 a3 Z 2 A1/3 a4 (A 2Z )2 A1 . (a) Considering a set of isobaric nuclei, derive a relationship between A and Z for naturally occurring nuclei. [Ans. Z = A/(2 + 2aa34 A2/3 )] (b) From this expression can you explain why in heavy nuclei the number of protons is considerably less than the number of neutrons. 9. In the ssion of a nucleus of mass number A0 (mass M0 ) into two nuclei A1 and A2 (masses M1 and M2 ), the energy released is Q = M0 c2 M1 c2 M2 c2 . (a) If (A) = B.E ./A, express Q in terms of (A) and A. [Ans. Q = A1 (A1 ) + A2 (A2 ) A0 (A0 )] (b) Estimate Q for symmetric ssion of a nucleus with A = 240 assuming (120) 8.5 MeV and (240) 7.6 MeV (These values can be read from the B.E./A curve in any text book). [Ans. 216 MeV] (c) Estimate (order of magnitude) the ratio of the energy released when 1 g of the above nucleus (A = 240) undergoes ssion to the energy released when 1 g of TNT explodes (2.6 1022 eV). [Ans. 2 107 ] 10. The period of a pendulum is measured to be 3.0 s in the reference frame of the pendulum. What is the period when measured by an observer moving at a speed of 0.95 c relative to the pendulum? [Ans. 9.6 s]

11. An astronaut takes a trip to Sirius, which is located a distance of 8 lightyears from the Earth. (Note that 1 lightyear (y) is the distance light travels through free space in 1 yr.) The astronaut measures the time of the one-way journey to be 6 yr. If the spaceship moves at a constant speed of 0.8c, how can the 8-y distance be reconciled with the 6-yr trip time measured by the astronaut? [Ans. 6 yr] 12. Compare the momentum of an electron when it has a speed of (a) 4.00 107 m/s in the CRT of a television set, and (b) 0.98c in an accelerator used for cancer therapy. [Ans. 1.01 me v, 5.0 me v] 13. When two moles of hydrogen and one mole of oxygen react to form two moles of water, the energy released is 484 kJ. How much does the mass decrease in this reaction? [Ans. 5.38 1012 kg] 14. (a) A Tevatron accelerator at Fermilab in Illinois (USA) cam accelerate protons to a kinetic energy of 1.0 TeV (1012 eV). What is the speed of such a proton? (b) What magnetic eld intensity is needed to keep 998-GeV protons revolving in a circle of radius 1.0 km? Use the relativistic mass. [Hint: in relativity, it is still true that mv2 /r = qvB in a magnetic eld.] 15. (a) Find the rest energy of a proton in electron volts. (b) If the total energy of a proton is three times its rest energy, with what speed is the proton moving? (c) Determine the kinetic energy of the proton in electron volts. (d) What is the protons momentum? 16. Imagine a motorcycle moving with a speed 0.8 c past a stationary observer. If the rider tosses a ball in the forward direction with a speed of 0.7 c relative to himself, what is the speed of the ball relative to the stationary observer? 17. The Sun radiates energy at a rate about 4 1026 W. (a) At what rate is the Suns mass decreasing? (b) How long does it take for the Sun to lose a mass equal to that of Earth? (c) Estimate how long the Sun could last if it radiated constantly at this rate. 18. Two identical particles of rest mass m0 approach each other at equal and opposite speeds v. The collision is completely inelastic and results in a single particle at rest. What is the rest mass of the new particle? How much energy was lost in the collision? How much kinetic energy is lost in this collision? 19. A person on a rocket traveling at 0.5 c (with respect to the Earth) observes a meteor come from behind and pass her at a speed she measures as 0.5 c. How fast is the meteor moving with respect to the Earth? 20. A 42,000 kg spaceship is to travel to the vicinity of a star 6 light-years from Earth. Passengers on the ship want the (one-way) trip to take no more than 1.0 year. How much work must be done on the spaceship to bring it to the speed necessary for this trip?

Constants: m p = 1.007825 u, mn = 1.008665 u c2 = 931.5 MeV/u e2 = 1.44 MeV fm Rest mass of electron me = 9.109 1031 kg ******