Nuclear and Radiochemistry

The leading resource for anyone looking for an accessible and authoritative introduction to nuclear and radiochemistry

In the newly revised Fourth Edition of Nuclear and Radiochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications, distinguished chemist Jens-Volker Kratz delivers a two-volume handbook that has become the gold standard in teaching and learning nuclear and radiochemistry. The books cover the theory and fundamentals of the subject before moving on the technical side of nuclear chemistry, with coverage of nuclear energy, nuclear reactors, and radionuclides in the life sciences.
This latest edition discusses the details and impact of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, as well as new research facilities, including FAIR and HIM. It also incorporates new methods for target preparation and new processes for nuclear fuel recycling, like EURO-GANEX. Finally, the volumes extensively cover environmental technological advances and the effects of radioactivity on the environment.

Readers will also find:

• An accessible and thorough introduction to the fundamental concepts of nuclear physics and chemistry, including atomic processes, classical mechanics, relativistic mechanics, and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
• Comprehensive explorations of radioactivity in nature, radioelements, radioisotopes and their atomic masses, and other physical properties of nuclei
• Practical discussions of the nuclear force, nuclear structure, decay modes, radioactive decay kinetics, and nuclear radiation
• In-depth examinations of the statistical considerations relevant to radioactivity measurements

Written for practicing nuclear chemists and atomic physicists, Nuclear and Radiochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications is also an indispensable resource for nuclear physicians, power engineers, and professionals working in the nuclear industry.

Autorentext
Jens-Volker Kratz is a retired Professor of Nuclear Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He obtained his degrees in Chemistry at this university, followed by postdoctoral research with Glenn T. Seaborg at Berkeley. Before moving back to Mainz, he worked as a group leader between 1974 and 1982 at GSI in Darmstadt. He has published 350 scientific articles and two editions of this textbook. For 24 years, he served as editor of Radiochimica Acta. He was nominated Fellow of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and has received numerous prizes, including the Otto Hahn Award.

Inhalt

Volume 1

Preface vii

1 Fundamental Concepts 1

1.1 The Atom 1

1.2 Atomic Processes 2

1.3 Discovery of the Atomic Nucleus 4

1.4 Nuclear Decay Types 6

1.5 Some Physical Concepts Needed in Nuclear Chemistry 10

1.5.1 Fundamental Forces 10

1.5.2 Elements from Classical Mechanics 11

1.5.3 Relativistic Mechanics 11

1.5.4 The de BroglieWavelength 13

1.5.5 Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle 14

1.5.6 The Standard Model of Particle Physics 15

1.5.7 Force Carriers 19

Reference 20

Further Reading 21

2 Radioactivity in Nature 23

2.1 Discovery of Radioactivity 23

2.2 Radioactive Substances in Nature 26

2.3 Nuclear Forensics 30

References 33

Further Reading 33

3 Radioelements and Radioisotopes and Their Atomic Masses 35

3.1 Periodic Table of the Elements 35

3.2 Isotopes and the Chart of Nuclides 36

3.3 Nuclide Masses and Binding Energies 40

3.4 Evidence for Shell Structure in Nuclei 48

3.5 Precision Mass Spectrometry 51

References 56

Further Reading 56

4 Other Physical Properties of Nuclei 59

4.1 Nuclear Radii 59

4.2 Nuclear Angular Momenta 64

4.3 Magnetic Dipole Moments 66

4.4 Electric Quadrupole Moments 69

4.5 Statistics and Parity 70

4.6 Excited States 71

References 72

Further Reading 72

5 The Nuclear Force and Nuclear Structure 75

5.1 Nuclear Forces 75

5.2 Charge Independence and Isospin 78

5.3 Nuclear Matter 82

5.4 Fermi Gas Model 84

5.5 Shell Model 86

5.6 Collective Motion in Nuclei 95

5.7 Nilsson Model 100

5.8 The Pairing Force and Quasi-Particles 104

5.9 MacroscopicMicroscopic Model 106

5.10 Interacting Boson Approximation 108

5.11 Further Collective Excitations: Coulomb Excitation, High-Spin States, Giant Resonances 110

References 116

Further Reading 116

6 Decay Modes 119

6.1 Nuclear Instability and Nuclear Spectroscopy 119

6.2 Alpha Decay 119

6.2.1 Hindrance Factors 124

6.2.2 Alpha-Decay Energies 125

6.3 Cluster Radioactivity 127

6.4 Proton Radioactivity 129

6.5 Spontaneous Fission 132

6.6 Beta Decay 146

6.6.1 Fundamental Processes 146

6.6.2 Electron Capture-to-Positron Ratios 156

6.6.3 Nuclear Matrix Elements 157

6.6.4 Parity Non-Conservation 160

6.6.5 Massive Vector Bosons 162

6.6.6 CabibboKobayashiMaskawa Matrix 163

6.7 Electromagnetic Transitions 168

6.7.1 Multipole Order and Selection Rules 169

6.7.2 Transition Probabilities 171

6.7.3 Internal Conversion Coefficients 176

6.7.4 Angular Correlations 180

References 183

Further Reading 184

7 Radioactive Decay Kinetics 187

7.1 Law and Energy of Radioactive Decay 187

7.2 Radioactive Equilibria 189

7.3 Secular Radioactive Equilibrium 191

7.4 Transient Radioactive Equilibrium 193

7.5 Half-Life of Mother Nuclide Shorter than Half-Life of Daughter Nuclide 194

7.6 Similar Half-Lives 194

7.7 Branching Decay 196

7.8 Successive Transformations 197

Reference 199

Further Reading 199

8 Nuclear Radiation 201

8.1 General Properties 201

8.2 Heavy Charged Particles (A 1) 203

8.3 Beta Radiation 210

8.4 Gamma Radiation 215 <...