This graph depicts the Gamow model of alpha decay, in which an alpha particle tunnels through a Coulomb potential barrier. (Figure by Prof. Paola Cappellaro, inspired by a Wolfram blog post about creating xkcd-style Mathematica plots.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Paola Cappellaro
MIT Course Number
22.02
As Taught In
Spring 2012
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Highlights
This course features a collection of interactive Mathematica CDF demos on the tools page.
Course Description
This class covers basic concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on nuclear structure and interactions of radiation with matter. Topics include elementary quantum theory; nuclear forces; shell structure of the nucleus; alpha, beta and gamma radioactive decays; interactions of nuclear radiations (charged particles, gammas, and neutrons) with matter; nuclear reactions; fission and fusion.
