FYS4570 – Advanced Nuclear Structure

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

The course gives an overview of the fundamental models that are used to describe excitations of atomic nuclei. The emphasis is on concepts and phenomenological descriptions, without deriving stringent formal theories. Experimental data will be used to illustrate the phenomena encountered in nuclear structure physics, without going into technical details of how this data is obtained. The course lays out the foundation that allows students to interpret the observations obtained in typical nuclear structure experiments. The course will furthermore introduce numerical tools that allow students to perform theoretical calculations within basic nuclear structure models. 

The following topics will be covered: Liquid drop model, nuclear mass and binding, fission, pairing, shell structure, spin-orbit coupling, single-particle states, electromagnetic moments, nuclear shapes and shape coexistence, spherical and deformed shell model, Strutinsky method, collective rotation and vibration, particle-rotor model, cranking model.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, you

  • ​have detailed knowledge of nuclear excitations and how they relate to fundamental properties of nuclei such as nuclear shape and shell structure
  • have a good understanding of fundamental nuclear structure models, (liquid drop model, collective model, shell model, Nilsson model, particle-rotor model, cranking model), the assumptions they are based on, and the parameters they use
  • have knowledge of nuclear structure phenomena and can interpret experimental observables and spectroscopic information with the help of nuclear structure models
  • are familiar with numerical tools that allow performing basic theoretical calculations
  • have knowledge of current research topics in nuclear structure physics

Admission to the course

Students admitted at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may apply to take this course as a single course student.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Overlapping courses

Teaching

This course has 60 hours of lectures (four hours per week). One hour per week will be devoted to exercises and other practical applications such as instruction in the use of computer codes. Some exercises will be given as homework.

One home assignment must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

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

One home assignment 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 one of the following courses: FYS9570 – Advanced Nuclear Structure

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

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

New examinations are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.

We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Common Student System) Mar. 19, 2024 3:47:47 AM

Facts about this course

Level
Master
Credits
10
Teaching
Autumn

Every other autumn semester starting 2012

If the course is offered, a minimum of four students is required for ordinary lectures to take place. If less than four students participate, an exam will be given, but one should not expect ordinary teaching.

Examination
Autumn
Teaching language
English