Modern Physics: Substructure of The Nucleus

Modern Physics
Substructure of the Nucleus

Substructure of the Nucleus
• Two types of particles in the nuclei—the proton and the neutron, referred
to collectively as nucleons, the constituents of nuclei.
• The neutron is a neutral particle (q =0) that has nearly the same mass and
intrinsic spin as the proton compares the masses of protons, neutrons, and
electrons.
• How close the proton and neutron masses are, but the neutron is slightly
more massive once you look past the third digit. Both nucleons are much
more massive than an electron. In fact, mp = 1836 me and mn = 1839 me.
• Unified atomic mass unit (u), defined as 1 u = 1.660510 -27 kg
Substructure of the nucleus
• It is useful to note that 1 u of mass converted to energy produces 931.5 MeV, or 1 u = 931.5
MeV/c2
• All properties of a nucleus are determined by the number of protons and neutrons it has. A
specific combination of protons and neutrons is called a nuclide and is a unique nucleus.
The following notation is used to represent a particular nuclide: where the symbols , , ,
and are defined as follows: The number of protons in a nucleus is the atomic number , as
defined in Medical Applications of Nuclear Physics. X is the symbol for the element, such as
Ca for calcium. However, once is known, the element is known; hence, and are redundant.
• For example, Z=20 is always calcium, and calcium always has Z=20. N is the number of
neutrons in a nucleus. In the notation for a nuclide, the subscript N is usually omitted. The
symbol A is defined as the number of nucleons or the total number of protons and neutrons,
A = N + Z, where A is also called the mass number.
• This name for A is logical; the mass of an atom is nearly equal to the mass of its nucleus,
since electrons have so little mass. The mass of the nucleus turns out to be nearly equal to
the sum of the masses of the protons and neutrons in it, which is proportional to A. It is
particularly convenient to express masses in units of u. Both protons and neutrons have
masses close to 1 u, and so the mass of an atom is close to A u.
• There is a scarce form of hydrogen found in nature called deuterium; its nucleus has one
proton and one neutron and, hence, twice the mass of common hydrogen. The symbol for
deuterium is, thus 2/1 H1, (sometimes is used, as for deuterated water D2O). An even
rarer—and radioactive—form of hydrogen is called tritium, since it has a single proton
and two neutrons, and it is written 3/1H2. These three varieties of hydrogen have nearly
identical chemistries, but the nuclei differ greatly in mass, stability, and other
characteristics. Nuclei (such as those of hydrogen) having the same Z and different N s are
defined to be isotopes of the same element.
• There is some redundancy in the symbols A, X, Z, and N. If the
element X is known, then Z can be found in a periodic table and is
always the same for a given element. If both A and X are known, then
N can also be determined (first find Z ; then, N= A-Z ). Thus the
simpler notation for nuclides is AX which is sufficient and is most
commonly used
• Nucleons can be separated by a large force, such as in a collision with
another nucleus, but resist strongly being pushed closer together. The
most compelling evidence that nucleons are closely packed in a
nucleus is that the radius of a nucleus, r , is found to be given
approximately by r= r0A3/1 where r0 = 1.2 fm and A is the mass
number of the nucleus.
• Nucleons are held together by nuclear forces and resist both being
pulled apart and pushed inside one another. The volume of the nucleus is
the sum of the volumes of the nucleons in it, here shown in different
colors to represent protons and neutrons.
• What forces hold a nucleus together? The nucleus is very small and its
protons, being positive, exert tremendous repulsive forces on one
another. The answer is that two previously unknown forces hold the
nucleus together and make it into a tightly packed ball of nucleons.
These forces are called the weak and strong nuclear forces. Nuclear
forces are so short ranged that they fall to zero strength when nucleons
are separated by only a few fm.

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Substructure of the Nucleus

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