University of Surrey - Guildford
Registry
  
 

  
 
Registry > Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
View Module List by A.O.U. and Level  Alphabetical Module Code List  Alphabetical Module Title List  Alphabetical Old Short Name List  View Menu 
2011/2 Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 Module Code: PHY3026 Module Title: NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS
Module Provider: Physics Short Name: PH3-NA
Level: HE3 Module Co-ordinator: PODOLYAK Z Dr (Physics)
Number of credits: 10 Number of ECTS credits: 5
 
Module Availability

Module Availability:

 

Semester 1

 

Assessment Pattern

Unit(s) of Assessment

 

Weighting Towards Module Mark( %)

 

Examination

 

100%

 

Qualifying Condition(s) 

 

University general regulations refer.

 

Module Overview

The module explains how nuclei are synthesised in the Universe. Different processes, such as the burning phase, r, p, n, are discussed. The relevance of nuclear physics and the ways to measure the relevant quantities are covered in the course.

 

Prerequisites/Co-requisites

None.

 

Module Aims

To ensure that the student has a clear understanding of the information needed from nuclear physics to understand processes in stars, and how to measure the relevant quantities.

 

Learning Outcomes

The student should be able to explain and show knowledge of the fundamentals of fusion burning in stars including phenomena such as quantum tunnelling through the Coulomb barrier and the effect of temperature on stellar reaction rates.  This should be demonstrated in the ability to perform the examination questions to the required standard.

 

Module Content

The aim of this module is to examine in detail the nuclear processes of importance in stellar evolution, to discuss the factors which influence these processes and the methods used to measure them.

 

 

Nuclear Fusion in Stars

 

Review of nuclear fusion, Q-values, Eb/A

 

Sources of nuclear energy

 

 

H and He Burning

 

Hydrogen burning, D and 3He Burning

 

8Be(a, g)12C, 0/sup>, 7.654 MeV resonance

 

C-N, C-N-O cycles, Hot CNO cycle, NeNA and MgAl cycles

 

Carbon, oxygen, neon and silicon burning

 

Heavy Elements

 

Elemental abundances

 

rp-process

 

Supernovae

 

Neutron capture cross-sections

 

The s-process, r-process and the p-process

 

General Characteristics of Thermo-nuclear Reactions

 

Cross-sections, reaction rates, lifetimes

 

S(E)-factor, Sommerfeld parameter

 

Temperature dependence, inverse reactions

 

Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution

 

Determination of Stellar Reaction Rates

 

Neutron induced reactions

 

Charged particle induced reactions

 

Reactions through resonances

 

Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics

 

Radiative capture reactions

 

Measurements of cross-section

 

Ion sources, accelerators, Van De Graaffs

 

Inverse reactions with radio-active beams

 

 

Topical Problems

 

Production/detection of solar neutrinos

 

Low abundance of light elements Li, Be and B

 

Methods of Teaching/Learning

24 hours of lectures/tutorials.

 

Selected Texts/Journals

i.                C.Iliade, Nuclear Physics of Stars, Wiley.

 

ii.              A C Phillips, The Physics of Stars, John Wiley & Sons.

 

iii.             C Rolfs and C A Barnes, Radiative Capture Reactions in Nuclear Astrophysics, Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science 40, 1990, p45.

 

iv.            B W Carroll and D A Osterlie, An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Addison-Wesley.

 

v.              K S Krane , Introductory Nuclear Physics, Wiley.

 

Last Updated

August 2010.