vault backup: 2024-08-27 19:37:33

.obsidian/workspace.json

@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
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302. NUCE 2100 - Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering/2024-08-27 Introduction.md

@@ -50,3 +50,51 @@ Atomic mass of Z is in the slides
 Einstein famously showed that $E = m c^2$
 Electron volts are a unit
 ![[Pasted image 20240827190612.png]]
+
+# Forces in the nucleus
+1. Nuclear (Strong) force (Attractive)
+2. Coulomb force (repulsive)
+In a stable atom, these are balanced forces.
+
+Some ways atoms are unstable:
+1. Proton rich
+	1. Way too much Coulomb force
+	2. They will split!
+2. Neutron rich
+	1. Not enough Coulomb force
+	2. Will want to shift around, and will shed neutrons
+
+If the ratio of neutrons to protons is between 1-2, the atom is stable.
+
+Nature will always break apart unstable atoms:
+1. Convert neutrons into protons (or v.v.)
+2. Split into two nuclei
+3. Eject a particle
+
+1 Normally happens for lower atomic number atoms. As nuclei get bigger, the strong force is less powerful and the ejection can actually happen.
+
+## Decay Modes
+1. Emit a nucleon
+	1. proton emission (rare)
+	2. double proton (rarer)
+	3. neutron emission (rare)
+	4. alpha decay (common!)
+	5. cluster decay(rare)
+
+### Alpha Decay
+4 amu mass, charge +2. Helium nucleus. Most common decay mode for nuclei with Z>90.
+
+### Breaking Apart (Spontaneous fission)
+Much less common than alpha decay.
+Occurs for nuclei 2Z/A >45
+
+### Changing Nucleon Type
+Most common for smaller atoms
+Two basic modes: both are beta decay (+/-)
+	Negative turns a neutron into a proton, emit an electron
+	Positive turns a proton into a neutron, emit a positiron
+		This mf gets obliterated pretty damn fast. That atom then becomes an ion. Emits a couple of photons.
+	electron capture! Proton will absorb an inner cloud electron.
+Neutrinos also get ejected
+
+![[Pasted image 20240827193439.png]]