PHY982: Nuclear Dynamics (spring 2008)

Preliminary Program

Week	Starting date	Topic
1	Jan 7+8	Introduction to nuclear reactions
2	Jan 14+15	Scattering theory
3	Jan 22	Scattering theory
4	Jan 28+29	Reaction mechanisms
5	Feb 4+5	Connecting structure and reactions
6	Feb 11+12	Solving reaction equations
7	Feb 18+19	R-matrix method
8	Feb 25+26	Fitting reaction data
9	Mar 10+11	Accelerators and detectors
10	Mar 17+18	Spectroscopy
11	Mar 24+25	Breakup methods
12	Mar 31+ Apr 1	Approximate methods
13	Apr 7+8	Nuclear reactions in the cosmos
14	Apr 14+15	Students - Projects
15	Apr 21+22	Students - Projects

Schedule: Mon+Tue 14:30-16:00 NSCL Seminar Room

Grading System: Project (25%) + Summary (25%) + Homeworks (50%)

The project should be developed during the semester on a nuclear reaction topic of interest to the student. It can be completely theoretical, or it can contain numerical applications. Each week, a student will be asked to prepare and present a comprehensive summary of the material covered the previous week. There will be 5 homeworks on applications of the material covered in the course, to be worked out in a group of three members. Homeworks will be spaced by 2 weeks, and should be submitted on Tuesdays by 14:00.

Textbook: Handouts of a preliminary version of the book Nuclear Reactions for Astrophysics by Ian Thompson and Filomena Nunes (in preparation, to be published by Cambridge Press) will be provided on a weekly basis. In addition, Nuclear Reactions by Carlos Bertulani and Pawel Danielewicz, can also be used.

Professor: Filomena Nunes, Cyclotron rm 219 (nunes@nscl.msu.edu)

Office hours: Tue 16:00-18:00

Lecture slides : introduction

Lecture notes : introduction, scattering theory, reaction mechanisms, structure, solving equations

rmatrix, fitting, experiments, approximations, breakup, spectroscopy

Timetable for projects

Homeworks : hw1, hw2, hw3, hw4, hw5

Programs : fresco (manual)