The radiation part of the module is associated with ionising radiation and is designed to give a good introduction into many of the key aspects of radiation physics with appropriate laboratory practicals to support the lecture based material. Astrophysics
The second part of the module will cover introductory astrophysics, focussing on the structure and physics of low-mass stars. It will apply the basic physics concepts the learner has already encountered to stellar astrophysics.
Module Aim Radiation The aims of the radiation element are to develop an understanding of radiation physics and its industry with emphasis on applications, instrumentation, radiation protection and relevant national and international issues. Astrophysics The aim of the second part of this module is to familiarise the learner with astrophysics. It will allow him or her to see how the fundamental physics they have already obtained can be applied to the extreme environments encountered in the Universe. The emphasis will be on the physics of low-mass stars, with particular attention paid to our Sun. The Sun’s interior, atmosphere, origin and evolution will be
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explored.
Learning Outcomes
Radiation (12 hours) • Discovery and history of radioactivity • Brief Review basic atomic structure and the Bohr model • Forces in the Nucleus, and the Nuclear force. • Types of radiation- Alpha, beta and gamma, and their properties. • Half-life and the radioactive decay law. • Units in radioactivity • Interaction of charged particles with matter. -Photo-electric effect, pair-production and Compton scattering. • Range and half value layers. • Shielding requirements. • The Geiger counter, scintillation counter and examples of other radiation detectors.
Principals of Radiation protection: • Radiation doses and dose rate calculations • Handling small radioactive spills and the national emergency plan. • ALARA principle and licence regulations. • function of RPO RPII and ICRP • Biological effects of radiation. • Natural and man made radioactivity. Radon and Cosmic rays. • Radon in Ireland. • Background radioactivity, and typical life-time exposure
Applications of radiation in industry: • smoke detectors. NDT, thickness Measurements and sterilization. • X-rays, their production, properties and uses. • The use of radiation as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in medicine -techniques and procedures • Nuclear fission and fusion. • Nuclear fuel cycle and power production. • Reactor design, pressurised water reactor, CO2 cooled reactor. • Radioactive waste and its storage and disposal • A typical laboratory programme for the radiation element may include experiments taken from the list below or equivalent experiments may be used
Experiments with a Geiger-Müller tube • The statistics of counting the particles emitted from a radioactive source; • Experiments based on house hold radiation sources and detectors i.e. smoke detector, potters clay, radon detector; • Passage of Radiations through Matter.
Astrophysics (12 hours) • Introduction: our place in the cosmos; stars in our Galaxy and beyond. • Astronomical Tools: luminosity, intensity, the solar constant, Stefan’s Law, Wien’s radiation law, apparent and absolute magnitudes and the distance modulus. • The Hertzprung-Russell Diagram: spectral types and luminosity classes. • Measuring stellar properties: stellar parallax and the parsec, spectroscopic parallax and Cepheid variables. • The Physics of the Sun: the structure of the Sun, nuclear fusion at the core and energy transfer to the outer layers and beyond. • The Evolution of a one-solar Mass Star: stellar evolution on the Hertzprung-Russell diagram from star formation, the main sequence, the red giant stage, planetary nebulae to white dwarfs. Population I, II and III stars and metallicity in the Galaxy.
Lectures, tutorials, external assignments, laboratory activities, computer laboratory.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 36 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 64 |