Nuclear physicist

Nuclear Physicist

A Nuclear Physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of nuclear physics, a branch of physics that studies the constituents and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those in nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging, ion implantation in materials engineering, and radiocarbon dating in geology and archaeology.

History

The field of nuclear physics was born in the early 20th century. In 1896, Henri Becquerel discovered that certain kinds of matter emit radiation. This discovery was expanded upon by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, who isolated radioactive elements. The nucleus was discovered in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford, and the neutron was discovered in 1932 by James Chadwick.

Research and Development

Nuclear physicists use nuclear reactions to study the properties of nuclei. The most common methods are scattering experiments, resonance reactions, and beta decay. Scattering experiments involve firing a beam of particles at a target and measuring the resulting deflection. Resonance reactions involve creating a state in which the nucleus is excited. Beta decay is a process that certain kinds of radioactive nuclei undergo.

Applications

Nuclear physics has many practical applications. In nuclear medicine, it is used to diagnose and treat various diseases. In materials engineering, ion implantation is used to improve the properties of materials. In geology and archaeology, radiocarbon dating is used to determine the age of artifacts and geological formations.

See Also

• Atomic Physics
• Particle Physics
• Quantum Mechanics
• Radiation Physics