CONTENTS 



Preface v 



Foreword xiii 



Part I. Isotopes and Nuclear Radiations 



1. Properties of Nuclei 3 



1.1. Stable isotopes — 1.2. Mass defect — 1.3. Packing fraction — 1.4. Binding energy 

 — 1.5. Nuclear spin — 1.6. Magnetic dipole moment — 1.7. Electric quadrupole 

 moment. 



2. Gamma Rays 32 



2.1. Properties — 2.2. Photoelectric effect — 2.3. Scattering of gamma rays — 2.4. 

 Pair production — 2.5. Secondary particle production — 2.6. Internal conversion. 



3. Beta Particles 49 



3.1. Physical properties — 3.2. Absorption processes — 3.3. Ionization energy loss — 

 3.4. Radiative collision losses — 3.5. Specific ionization — 3.6. Relative stopping 

 power — 3.7. Nuclear excitation — 3.8. Absorption of beta particles of homogeneous 

 energy — 3.9. Absorption of inhomogeneous beta-particle beams — -3.10. Scattering 



of beta particles by nuclei — 3.11. Beta decay — 3.12. Selection rules for beta decay 

 — 3.13. K capture. 



4. Protons, Deuterons, and Alpha Particles 76 



4.1. Physical properties — 4.2. Energy loss of fast charged particles — 4.3. Stopping- 

 formula corrections — 4.4. Stopping formula for high-energy particles — 4.5. Rela- 

 tive stopping power — 4.6. Atomic stopping power — 4.7. Mass stopping power — 

 4.8. Range of heavy charged particles— 4.9. Specific ionization — 4.10. Delta rays 

 — 4.11. Straggling of charged particles — 4.12. Scattering of charged particles — 

 4.13. Alpha decay. 



5. Neutrons 121 



5.1. General properties — 5.2. Neutron processes — 5.3. Elastic scattering of neu- 

 trons — 5.4. Interaction of slow neutrons with nuclei — 5.5. Interaction of fast neu- 

 trons with nuclei — 5.6. Neutron diffusion. 



6. Fission 148 



6.1. Mechanism of fission — 6.2. Fission probability — 6.3. Stability of heavy nuclei 



— 6.4. Fission fragments — 6.5. Absorption and range of fission fragments — 6.6. 

 Radioactive chains — 6.7. Prompt neutrons — 6.8. Delayed neutrons — 6.9. Alpha 

 particles — 6.10. Fission induced by other radiations — 6.11, Fission of elements 

 below thorium. 



ix 



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