Program Overview

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Nuclear and Particle Physics (PHAS0040)

Key Information

The Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences offers this module through the Physics and Astronomy teaching department. It carries a credit value of 15.

• Faculty: Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Teaching department: Physics and Astronomy
• Credit value: 15

Restrictions

Students must have taken an introductory module in atomic physics (such as PHAS0023 Atomic and Molecular Physics), an introductory course in quantum physics (such as PHAS0022 Quantum Physics), and an introductory course in special relativity (such as PHAS0025 Mathematical Methods III) or their equivalents in other departments.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

Outline

This module introduces nuclei and particles, outlining their properties and exploring the nature of the forces between them. Although self-contained, the module provides the groundwork for fourth-year modules in nuclear and particle physics.

Aims

The aim of the module is to provide an introduction to the physical concepts of nuclear and particle physics and the experimental techniques they use.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

• Understand the fundamental particles and forces of the Standard Model and their associated quantum numbers.
• Solve basic kinematic problems in particle interactions.
• Represent particle interactions as Feynman diagrams.
• Describe the various methods of measuring particle interactions and experimental techniques used to investigate particle physics.
• Understand and apply the models of nuclear phenomenology to observations of the structure and properties of nuclei.
• Describe and solve problems for the different types of decay.
• Describe the main aspects of fission and fusion as energy sources.

Teaching and Learning Methodology

This module is delivered via weekly lectures supplemented by a series of workshops and additional discussion. In addition to timetabled lecture hours, it is expected that students engage in self-study to master the material, which can include practicing example questions and further reading in textbooks and online.

Indicative Topics

1. Basic Ideas: History; the standard model; relativity and antiparticles; particle reactions; Feynman diagrams; particle exchange range of forces; Yukawa potential; the scattering amplitude; cross-sections; unstable particles; units: length, mass, and energy.
2. Leptons, Quarks, and Hadrons: Lepton multiplets; lepton numbers; neutrinos; neutrino mixing and oscillations; universal lepton interactions; numbers of neutrinos; evidence for quarks; properties of quarks; quark numbers; hadrons; flavour independence and hadron multiplets.
3. Experimental Methods: Overview; accelerators; beams; particle interactions with matter (short-range interactions with nuclei, ionisation energy losses, radiation energy losses, interactions of photons in matter); particle detectors (time resolution: scintillation counters, measurement of position, measurement of momentum, particle identification, energy measurements: calorimeters, layered detectors); detection of cosmic rays; reconstruction and analysis.
4. Quark Interactions: QCD and Colour: Colour; quantum chromodynamics (QCD); the strong coupling constant; asymptotic freedom; jets and gluons; colour counting; deep inelastic scattering: nucleon structure.
5. Electroweak Interactions: Charged and neutral currents; symmetries of the weak interaction; spin structure of the weak interactions; neutral K- and B-mesons; mixing and CP violation; matter/anti-matter asymmetry in the universe; bosons; weak interactions of hadrons; neutral currents and the unified theory; The Higgs boson and its discovery.
6. Nuclear Phenomenology: Notation; mass and binding energies; nuclear forces; shapes and sizes; liquid drop model: semi-empirical mass formula; nuclear stability; decay: phenomenology; decay; fission; -decay.
7. Structure of Nuclei: Fermi gas model; the shell model: basic ideas; spins, parities, and magnetic moments in the shell model; excited states in the shell model; collective model; -decay; Fermi theory; electron momentum distribution; Kurie plots and the neutrino mass.
8. Fission and Fusion: Induced fission fissile materials; fission chain reactions; power from nuclear fission: nuclear reactors; nuclear fusion: Coulomb barrier; stellar fusion; fusion reactors.

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

• Intended teaching term: Term 2
• Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 6)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment:
  • 90% Exam
  • 10% Coursework (3 assessments)
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 209
• Module leader: Professor Matthew Wing

Last Updated

This module description was last updated on 10th March 2026.