Nuclear and Particle Physics

Atomic Structure and Particle AcceleratorsSign up

understand what is meant by nucleon number (mass number) and proton number (atomic number) · understand how large-angle alpha particle scattering gives evidence for a nuclear model of the atom and how our understanding of atomic structure has changed over time · understand that electrons are released in the process of thermionic emission and how they can be accelerated by electric and magnetic fields · understand the role of electric and magnetic fields in particle accelerators (linac and cyclotron) and detectors (general principles of ionisation and deflection only) · be able to derive and use the equation r = p/(BQ) for a charged particle in a magnetic field · be able to apply conservation of charge, energy and momentum to interactions between particles and interpret particle tracks · understand why high energies are required to investigate the structure of nucleons

Mass-Energy and RelativitySign up

be able to use the equation E = c^2 m in situations involving the creation and annihilation of matter and antimatter particles · be able to use MeV and GeV (energy) and MeV/c^2, GeV/c^2 (mass) and convert between these and SI units · understand situations in which the relativistic increase in particle lifetime is significant (use of relativistic equations not required)

Standard Quark-Lepton ModelSign up

know that in the standard quark-lepton model particles can be classified as: baryons (e.g. neutrons and protons), which are made from three quarks; mesons (e.g. pions), which are made from a quark and an antiquark; leptons (e.g. electrons and neutrinos), which are fundamental particles; photons; and that the symmetry of the model predicted the top quark · know that every particle has a corresponding antiparticle and be able to use the properties of a particle to deduce the properties of its antiparticle and vice versa · understand how to use laws of conservation of charge, baryon number and lepton number to determine whether a particle interaction is possible · be able to write and interpret particle equations given the relevant particle symbols.