Fermi Gas Model (2c) PDF

Fermi gas model
It is a statistical model of the nucleus. This model pictures the nucleus as a

degenerate gas of protons and neutrons much like the free electron gas in Therefore
metals. The gas is considered degenerate because all the particles are
crowed into the lowest possible states in a manner consistent with the
requirement of Pauli exclusion principle. In this case the nature of the
microscopic particles is fully reflected in its effect on the ensemble as a
whole.
Nucleons are fermions having spin ½. Thus the behaviour of the neutron or ------(3)
the proton gas will be determined by Fermi-Dirac statistics. In such a gas at
0 K, all the energy levels upto a maximum, known as Fermi energy EF are
occupied by the particles, each level being occupied by two particles with
opposite spins. where is the nuclear volume which contains N particles
Neglecting for the moment, the electrostatic charge of the protons and (fermions) and M is the nucleonic mass.
supposing that the nucleus has N = Z = A/2. The nucleons move freely
within a spherical potential well of the proper diameter with depth adjusted We have two different types of Fermi gas in the nucleus (i) the proton gas
so that the Fermi energy raises the highest lying nucleons upto the observed and (ii) the neutron gas. The respective numbers of protons and neutrons are
binding energies. The potential well is filled separately with nucleons of Z and A - Z. Now, assuming that the number of nucleonic states to be equal
each type, allowing just two particles of a given type with opposite spin to to the nucleon number in each case, one obtains the density of states for the
each cell in phase space of volume h3. According to Fermi-Dirac statistics, two gases as
the number of neutron states per unit momentum interval is
where V is the volume of the nucleus. If is the limiting

momentum below which all the states all filled. Obviously, the number of
neutrons occupying momentum states upto this maximum momentum is
obtained as
we have
Lecture points of Dr. H R Sreepad, Associate Professor, Government College (Autonomous), Mandya Page 1
Remembering that each state can be occupied by nucleons of opposite spins Vo ~ 21 + 8 = 29 MeV
and substituting the above in (3), one obtains We must note that the neutron depth is slightly greater than the proton
depth.
Let us now consider a hypothetical infinite medium of nuclear matter of

However, the number of protons (Z) and neutrons (A - Z) in an actual uniform density in which the numbers of neutrons and protons are equal, i.e.
nucleus are not equal and hence N being somewhat greater than Z.
Obviously, the Fermi energies of the two types of nucleons are different.
N = Z and the Coulomb interaction of the proton is considered negligible.
In this situation, one obtains from the semi-empirical binding energy Bethe-
Now N > Z, (Ef)n > (Ef)p and hence the potential wells for the protons and
Weizsackar relation
neutrons have different depths, i.e. the former being less deep than the
latter. The depth of the potential well is obtained as
Where EB is binding energy. Adding this to the depth of the potential well
below the Fermi level, one obtains the depth of the potential well as
Here fB=EB/A is called the mean binding energy per nucleon (binding
Vo = 21 + 15.9 = 36.9 MeV/nucleon
fraction) and is of the order of 8 MeV/nucleon for both protons and
neutrons. Figure 5.1(b) exhibit Fermi gas model of nucleonic potential One expect that any successful theory of nuclear matter should be able to
wells. correlate the above value of Vo to the nature of internucleon nuclear force.
Figure exhibits the difference in the depths of wells for neutron and proton. We have so far assumed nuclear temperature to be T = 0 K corresponding to
Fig:1 the ground state. When some excitation energy is supplied to the nucleus,
then the thermal energy of the nucleus corresponds to T > 0 K. In this case,
one can easily show that the total excitation energy is
Et = Ep + En = 11(kT) MeV
2
Since kT ~1 and hence Et ~ 11 MeV.
One can also obtain the energy density of the nuclear levels for a given
excitation energy using the entropy relation: S = k ln W and thermodynamic
expression for entropy.
From Figure 5.1(b), we note that the Fermi energies for both protons and One cannot predict detailed properties of low lying states of nuclei observed
neutrons are represented by the same horizontal line, corresponding to about in the radioactive decay processes from this model. This model is
8 MeV below the top of the potential well (Coulomb effect is neglected). particularly useful in describing phenomena which are sensitive to the high
One can visualize this that if these are at different depths below the top of momentum part of the nucleon spectrum. The model suggests that nucleon
the well, then the nucleons of one type from the higher Fermi level (say, collisions often do not transfer small amount of momentum to the nucleus,
neutrons) would make spontaneous transitions to the lower Fermi level for because the nucleon momentum states near the origin are filled. However,
the other type (protons) by beta transformations. Obviously, the levels this limitation does not affect collisions in which large momentum transfer
would ultimately equalize. takes place. Obviously, this statistical model helps to explain the properties
Thus one finds the depth of the potential well approximately, of the nucleus in excited states. One can also treat the unbound states of
heavy and medium nuclei with the help of this model.
Lecture points of Dr. H R Sreepad, Associate Professor, Government College (Autonomous), Mandya Page 2

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Fermi gas model

It is a statistical model of the nucleus. This model pictures the nucleus as a

where V is the volume of the nucleus. If is the limiting

Let us now consider a hypothetical infinite medium of nuclear matter of

Since kT ~1 and hence Et ~ 11 MeV.

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