Nuclear Physics in a Nutshell provides a clear, concise, and
up-to-date overview of the atomic nucleus and the theories that seek to
explain it. Bringing together a systematic explanation of hadrons,
nuclei, and stars for the first time in one volume, Carlos A. Bertulani
provides the core material needed by graduate and advanced undergraduate
students of physics to acquire a solid understanding of nuclear and
particle science. Nuclear Physics in a Nutshell is the definitive new
resource for anyone considering a career in this dynamic field.
The book opens by setting nuclear physics in the context of elementary
particle physics and then shows how simple models can provide an
understanding of the properties of nuclei, both in their ground states
and excited states, and also of the nature of nuclear reactions. It then
describes: nuclear constituents and their characteristics; nuclear
interactions; nuclear structure, including the liquid-drop model
approach, and the nuclear shell model; and recent developments such as
the nuclear mean-field and the nuclear physics of very light nuclei,
nuclear reactions with unstable nuclear beams, and the role of nuclear
physics in energy production and nucleosynthesis in stars.
Throughout, discussions of theory are reinforced with examples that
provide applications, thus aiding students in their reading and analysis
of current literature. Each chapter closes with problems, and appendixes
address supporting technical topics.
