CFU
6
Length
14 Weeks
Semester DD
First
Historical introduction. The atomic nucleus. Radioactive decay law. Alpha decay. Beta decay. Gamma decay. Exotic decay. Radioactive sources (natural and artificial). Interaction of radiation with matter. The non conservation of the parity in beta decay and the experiment of Wu. The measurements of the neutrino mass. The origin of the elements. The standard Big Bang Universe and primordial nucleosynthesis. Nucleosynthesis in stars. Evolution of the star. The natural radioactivity and natural radiation. Other natural sources: cosmic rays and solar neutrinos. The Radon. Radioactivity in humans. Elements on particle detectors. Elements of radiation dosimetry. Biological effect of radiations. Radiation shielding. Shielding from charged particles, heavy charged particles and electrons. Shielding from photons. The build-up. Shields from neutrons. Multi-layers shields. Applications of nuclear physics: the neutron activation method and the geological and archaeological dating. Nuclear Imaging techniques.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Advanced knowledge of the physics of radioactive phenomena; study of quantum theories that describe these phenomena and deepening of the experimental results related to them.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students will have an very good understanding of radioactive phenomena and related research topics; the verification of knowledge and understanding will be done through oral tests.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students will be able to identify fundamentals elements of a physical problem involving radioactive phenomena and will be able to develop theoretical and analytical models to interpret these phenomena.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students will be able to realize experiment to apply the knowledge of radioactive phenomena. They will also be able to apply the acquired knowledge to perform calculations to interpret the results of the experiments. Moreover, they will have the opportunity to study in depth some topics by performing appropriate bibliographic research and by consulting articles in journals.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: A part of the final exam will be focuses on the presentation of a topic of the Course. Students will show their ability to study the results of various experiments, to perform a bibliographic search and to make presentation to an audience of both specialists and laymen.
LEARNING SKILLS: Students will be able to use the studied radioactive phenomena in new fields. They will acquire the skills to continue their studies in a PhD program or in other specialization schools.