31090 - Experiments and Discoveries of Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has an overview of the most important and fundamental experiments for Nuclear Physics and Subnuclear Physics who have permitted to make important discoveries in this field of investigation, as well as the cultural impact in a broader sense.

Course contents

The experimental basis of nuclear and subnuclear physics.

The discovery of the nucleus and the neutron.
The discovery of the mass defect and verification of special relativity.
The scattering of electrons on nuclei and distribution of electric charge.
The discovery of nuclear fluorescence: the Mossbauer effect.
Spin and Polarization: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.
The β decay and the discovery of the neutrino.
The discovery of cosmic rays and subnuclear particles.
The intrinsic properties of particles: the classification of families.
The discovery of the violation of parity and time-reversal in weak interactions.
The discovery of various types of neutrinos: νe, νμ, ντ.
The oscillation phenomenon in the K ° mesons and neutrinos.
The discovery of antimatter.
The inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons on nucleons and the discovery of building blocks: the discovery of the quark structure of baryons and mesons.
The discovery of mediators of the weak interaction: the vector bosons W ± and Z°.

Readings/Bibliography

E. Segrè: “Nuclei e particelle”, Ed. Zanichelli, Bologna

S. Braibant, G. Giacomelli, M. Spurio: “Particelle e interazioni fondamentali”,

Ed. Springer Verlag Italia, Milano.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

Final oral interview.

Office hours

See the website of Attilio Forino