FYS-KJM4506 – Nuclear methods and instrumentation

The course gives an introduction to measurement and analysis methods in nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, as well as basic radiation protection for working with radioactive materials and radiation sources in the laboratory.

The course offers practical training in the use of detector systems for qualitative and quantitative measurements of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.

After completing the course, you are able to:

• describe radiation sources commonly used in nuclear experiments and measurements.
• explain how different types of ionizing radiation interact with matter and which processes are important at different energies.
• explain the functioning of ionization, semiconductor, and scintillator detectors, and be able to set them up and use them in simple counting setups for spectroscopy, for both particles and electromagnetic radiation.
• utilize electronics and software for processing signals from detectors and data acquisition.
• apply statistical methods and uncertainty propagation for nuclear measurements.
• explain how a neutron generator operates and have experience with neutron activation.
• recite the fundamental principles of radiation protection and conduct risk assessments for working with radioactivity.

The course is intended for students in the program Kjernefysikk og nukleærteknologi (bachelor).

FYS-KJM3506 – Nuclear methods and instrumentation and FYS-KJM4506 – Nuclear methods and instrumentation have 36 spots in total. Applicants are ranked according to the following criteria:

1. Students admitted to Kjernefysikk og nukleærteknologi (bachelor)
2. Students admitted to Nuclear Science (master)
3. Students admitted to Chemistry (master), specialization in nuclear chemistry
4. Students admitted to Fysikk og astronomi (bachelor)
5. Students admitted to Physics (master)

The following courses must be passed before the first day of the mandatory laboratory course in FYS-KJM4506:

• HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety
• HMS0505 – Electricity Safety

• FYS1040 – Introduction to Nuclear Technology
• KJM3900 – Radioactivity

The course is given over the whole semester with the following weekly teaching:

• 2 hours of lectures
• 4 hours of group and laboratory teaching

In addition to lectures, the course includes 5 mandatory laboratory exercises. After each of these, a written report or an oral presentation needs to be approved.

All mandatory activities must be approved before you can sit for the final exam.

See rules for mandatory activities.

• Final oral or written exam which counts 100 % towards the final grade.

It is decided at the beginning of the semester whether the final examination will be oral or written, based on the number of students.

This course has mandatory exercises that must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for the following course: FYS-KJM3506 – Nuclear methods and instrumentation

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.