The study of nuclear and particle physics provides insight into the basic behaviour of systems governed by quantum mechanics. It also has a number of practical applications including energy production by nuclear reactors and medical diagnostic and treatment techniques.
This second edition of 'An Introduction to the Physics of Nuclei and Particles' is intended as a textbook for a one semester third or fourth year undergraduate course and requires a basic background in quantum mechanics. The text covers the basic properties of nuclei and the models of nuclear structure. It also covers nuclear stability, nuclear decay processes and nuclear reactions. In particular, fission and fusion reactions are covered. The basic properties of subatomic particles are presented, and the standard model of hadronic structure is covered.
The book covers recent developments in both nuclear and particle physics. In the field of nuclear physics, these developments include alpha-clustering models and double beta decay. Recent advances in the development of nuclear fission and fusion reactors are also discussed. In the area of particle physics, the recent discovery of the Higgs boson and advancements in our knowledge of neutrino masses and oscillations are presented. The text also includes appendices describing the operation of the major categories of particle accelerators and with full solutions to the even-numbered end-of-chapter problems.
