Nuclear Physics Laboratory

Each pair of students will perform one of six possible measurements and will gain a deep knowledge of the related physics process.
All experiments use nuclear radiation detectors, as scintillation detectors coupled to photomultipliers, and solid-state detectors; data acquisition systems and statistical data analysis tools are also common to all experiments.

1) Alpha spectroscopy: after calibrating the silicon detector system with known alpha emitting nuclides, the students will measure the energy loss of alpha particles in air, the activity of Uranium ore samples and the mean lifetime of 222Rn.

2) Beta spectroscopy: the students will calibrate a one millimeter thick silicon detector with mono energetic electrons from nuclides decaying with electron capture and internal conversion. Spectra of beta emitting nuclides will be measured.

3) Compton differential cross section: using two NaI scintillation detectors and a beta+ emitting source this experiment uses a coincidence technique to measure the Compton cross section of 511 keV photons as a function of the scattering angle.

4) The absorption coefficients of gamma rays of various energies, for various materials, are measured with a NaI scintillation detector, after energy calibration.

5) Gamma ray spectroscopy is performed after a careful energy calibration of the system, using also a detector simulation. Gamma emitting nuclides are identified with their emission lines and secular equilibrium in radioactive chains is also measured.

6) Measurement of the muon lifetime using cosmic rays. A stack of plastic scintillating detectors is used to measure the flux of cosmic rays, their velocity and lifetime.

Calibration, background studies, data acquisition and data analysis are common to all experiments.
Introductory lectures will recall the main concepts of radioactive decays, interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detectors, amplifiers, discriminators, coincidence logic, calculating statistical and systematic errors.
It is desirable that the students enrolled to this lab are also enrolled to "Institution of Nuclear and particle physics".
At the end of the course the students will submit a written report describing their experiment, the data acquisition method, data analysis method and their interpretation of the results.
Exam: oral explanation and presentation of the written report, demonstating knowledge


Textbooks
Lecture Handouts; printed handouts: Radioattività e Interazione della radiazione con la materia, by L. Miramonti (CUSL)
Radiation Detection and Instrumentation, G.F. Knoll
Introductory Nuclear Physics, K.S. Krane

Each pair of students will perform one of six possible measurements and will gain a deep knowledge of the related physics process.
All experiments use nuclear radiation detectors, as scintillation detectors coupled to photomultipliers, and solid-state detectors; data acquisition systems and statistical data analysis tools are also common to all experiments.

1) Alpha spectroscopy: after calibrating the silicon detector system with known alpha emitting nuclides, the students will measure the energy loss of alpha particles in air, the activity of Uranium ore samples and the mean lifetime of 222Rn.

2) Beta spectroscopy: the students will calibrate a one millimeter thick silicon detector with mono energetic electrons from nuclides decaying with electron capture and internal conversion. Spectra of beta emitting nuclides will be measured.

3) Compton differential cross section: using two NaI scintillation detectors and a beta+ emitting source this experiment uses a coincidence technique to measure the Compton cross section of 511 keV photons as a function of the scattering angle.

4) The absorption coefficients of gamma rays of various energies, for various materials, are measured with a NaI scintillation detector, after energy calibration.

5) Gamma ray spectroscopy is performed after a careful energy calibration of the system, using also a detector simulation. Gamma emitting nuclides are identified with their emission lines and secular equilibrium in radioactive chains is also measured.

6) Measurement of the muon lifetime using cosmic rays. A stack of plastic scintillating detectors is used to measure the flux of cosmic rays, their velocity and lifetime.

Calibration, background studies, data acquisition and data analysis are common to all experiments.
Introductory lectures will recall the main concepts of radioactive decays, interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detectors, amplifiers, discriminators, coincidence logic, calculating statistical and systematic errors.
It is desirable that the students enrolled to this lab are also enrolled to "Institution of Nuclear and particle physics".
At the end of the course the students will submit a written report describing their experiment, the data acquisition method, data analysis method and their interpretation of the results.
Exam: oral explanation and presentation of the written report, demonstating knowledge

Textbooks
Lecture Handouts; printed handouts: Radioattività e Interazione della radiazione con la materia, by L. Miramonti (CUSL)
Radiation Detection and Instrumentation, G.F. Knoll
Introductory Nuclear Physics, K.S. Krane