Nuclear Assignment:

1. The radius of a nucleus is R = RoA1/3 and its Coulomb

3 (𝑍𝑒 )2 A
energy is5 . A nucleus z X decays to its mirror
4𝜋𝜖𝑜 𝑅

nucleus Az-1Y in its ground state. Derive an expression for

the Q value in terms of A, Ro and universal constants.
2. Compute the binding energy per nucleon for (a) 7Li, (b)
56
Fe and (c) 235U using semi empirical mass formula.
3. Evaluate the neutron separation energy for 7Li.
4. Compute the approximate mass of Carbon, Germanium
and Bismuth nuclei.
5. It is energetically possible for a nucleus to decay by both β+
and β- emission. What can you say about the Mass number
A (even, odd) of this nucleus?
6. Using semi empirical mass formula derive an expression
for the number of protons Z for which the isobar with a
fixed A is stable (does not beta-decay). Find this Z for A
=125. Neglect the mass difference between neutron and
proton.
 27
7. 14Si and 2713Al are mirror nuclei. The former is a positron
emitter with E max = 3.48 MeV. Determine ro.
8. A neutron star consists of only neutrons. Gravitational
3 𝐺𝑀2
potential energy (− 5 ) plays a major role in giving the
𝑟

star stability by making the binding energy positive. Find

the minimum number of neutrons expected in a neutron star
based on properly modified semi empirical mass formula.
9. Assume a single particle central potential to describe the
shell structure of nuclei. An additional of Vso L · S term
gives the correct shell closing. Let Vso = -1MeV/ħ2. Find
the change in the energy of 1f state as the state becomes (a)
1f7/2 (b) 1f 5/2. Do the same calculation for 1d 5/2 and 1d3/2.
10. What is the magnetic moment of 16O in ground state?
11. Give the expected shell model spin and parity assignments
for the ground states of (a) 7Li (b) 15C (c) 31P (d) 141 Pr .
12. The ground state of 203 +
122𝑇𝑙 has spin–parity ( ½) Give the

shell model configuration of this nucleus that is consistent

with the observed states.
13. Find the magnetic dipole moment of 41Ca and 35Cl in their
ground states using extreme single particle shell model.
14. The unpaired neutron in an odd-A nucleus is in the state d 5/
2. Using extreme single particle shell model calculate the
magnetic moment expected in units of nuclear magneton
gsn = - 3.826 .
15. The 1st two excited states of 178O nucleus are found to have
spin parity as (½)+ and ( ½)-. Write the proton and neutron
configurations for each of these states.
16. Estimate the ratios of the major to minor axes of 181 73Ta
and 123 51Sb. The quadrupole moments are +6 × 10−24 cm2
for Ta and −1.2 × 10−24 cm2 for Sb (Take R = 1.2A 1/3 fm
17. Assuming that in a nucleus N = Z = A/2, calculate the Fermi
momentum, Fermi energy EF, and the well depth.
18. A certain odd-parity shell model state can accommodate up
to a maximum of 12 nucleons. What are its j and l values?
19. Find the gap between the 1p1/2 and 1d5/2 neutron shells for
nuclei with mass number A ≈ 16 from the total binding
energy of the 15O (111.9556 MeV), 16O (127.6193 MeV)
and 17O (131.7627 MeV) atoms.
20. Compute the expected shell-model quadruple moment of 209
Bi(9/2− )
21. Deduce that with ac = 0.72MeV and as = 23MeV the ratio z
min/A is approximately 0.5 for light nuclei and 0.4 for heavy
nuclei.
22. If the binding energies of the mirror nuclei 41 21Sc and 41
20Ca are 343.143V and 350.420MeV respectively, estimate
the radii of the two nuclei by using the semi empirical mass
formula [e2/4πε0 = 1.44MeV fm]
23. Investigate using liquid drop model, the β stability of the
isobars 127 53 I and 127 54 Xe given that
127
51 Sb → β− +127 52 Te + 1.60MeV
127 55 Cr → β + +12754 Xe + 1.06MeV
24. The mean free path of fast neutron in lead is about 5 cm.
find the total cross-section of lead (atomic mass ~200 and
density 10 g /cm3) 4079
25. It is desired to reduce beam intensity of slow neutron to 5%

of original value by placing a cadmium sheet in front of

beam (atomic mass ~112 and density 8.7 x 103 g /cm3). The
absorption cross-section of Cd is 2500 barns. Find the
required thickness of Cd? 4080
26. In a scattering experiment an aluminum foil of thickness

10μm is placed in a beam of intensity 8 × 1012 particles per

second. The differential scattering cross-section is known
to be of the form dσ/dΩ = A + B cos2 θ
 where A, B are constants, θ is scattering angle and Ω is the
solid angle. With a detector of area 0.01m2 placed at a
distance of 6m from the foil, it is found that the mean
counting rate is 50 s−1 when θ is 30o and 40 s−1 when θ is
60o. Find the values of A and B. The mass number of
aluminum is 27 and its density is 2.7g/cm2.
P443
27. α-particles and deuterons are accelerated in a cyclotron

under identical conditions. The extracted beam of particles

is passed through an absorber. Show that the range of
deuteron will be approximately twice that of α-particles.
P386
28. Protons and deuterons are accelerated to the same energy

and passed through a thin sheet of material. Compare their

energy losses. P387
29. Determine the average radiative energy loss of electrons of

p = 2.7GeV/c crossing one radiation length of lead.

238
30. In the radioactive series stemming from U, intermediate
nuclei have negligible mean lives on geological time scale,
so that 238U may be assumed to decay directly to 206Pb with
a mean life of 6.48 × 109 y. Similarly, 235U decays to 207Pb
with a mean life of 1.03 × 109 y. In a certain sample of
uranium-bearing rock the proportions of atoms of 238U,
235
U, 206Pb and 207Pb were found to be in the ratio of 1000:
7.19 : 79.7 : 4.85. The sample had negligible amount of
208Pb. Estimate the age of the rock.
31. The carbon isotope 14C is produced in nuclear reactions of
cosmic rays in the atmosphere. It is β-unstable. It is found
that a gram of carbon extracted from the atmosphere, gives
on average 15.3 such radioactive decays per minute. What
is the proportion of 14C isotope in the carbon? (Mean life of
14
C is 8270 years and mass of carbon is 12.00 u.)
32. A total of 16.0 radioactive disintegrations per minute per

gram are measured from a sample of living wood. The

counter used for measuring the sample is only 5 %
efficient. A sample of 8 g of carbon taken from
archaeological sample of wood register 9 counts per
minute. The background count of 5 per minute is also
observed. Calculate the age of the sample (T1/2 of 14C =
5730 y).
33. Consider the photo disintegration of deuteron, γ + d →p +

n. Assuming that the proton and neutron are emitted with

equal energy, see Fig., calculate the angle of emission of
proton.

34. Find the root

mean
 square separation of neutron and proton in deuteron using
the normalized
exponential wave function for
the ground state

35. 1 MeV neutrons are scattered on a target. The angular

distribution of the neutrons in the centre-of-mass proves to
be isotropic. The total cross-section is measured to be 10−25
cm2. Using the partial wave representation, calculate the
phase shift of the s-wave.

Nuclear Reaction
1. Calculate the energy of protons detected at 90° when 4.0
MeV deuterons are incident on 27Al to produce 28Al with an
energy difference Q = 5.5 MeV.
2. Find the energy of the helium nucleus in the fusion reaction
d +p→ 3He+γ +5.3 MeV, where initially proton and
deuteron are essentially at rest.
3. Calculate the threshold energy of the projectiles in a 3H(p,
n)3He reaction, given, Q=−0.74 MeV.
4. Krane book; 11.3,4, 6-10
Fermi Gas Model
1. In the Fermi gas model the internal energy is given by U =
3/5 AEF, where A is the mass number and EF is the Fermi
energy. For a nucleus of volume V with N = Z = A/2. A =
KVEF3/2 where K is a constant. Using the thermodynamic
 𝜕𝑈
relation, p = − (𝜕𝑉 ), show that the pressure is given by𝑃 =
2
𝜌 𝐸 , where ρn is the nucleon density.
5 𝑛 𝐹

Liquid Drop Model

2. Determine the most stable isobar with mass number A = 64.
3. The masses (amu) of the mirror nuclei 27 27
13𝐴𝑙 and 14𝑆𝑖 are
26.981539 and 26.986704 respectively. Determine the
Coulomb’s coefficient in the SEMF.
4. Compute the binding energy per nucleon for (a) 7Li, (b)
56
Fe and (c) 235U using SEMF.
5. Evaluate the neutron separation energy for 7Li.
6. Compute the approximate mass of Carbon, Germanium and
Bismuth nuclei.
7. It is energetically possible for a nucleus to decay by both β+
and β- emission. What can you say about the Mass number
A (even, odd) of this nucleus?

Shell Model
8. Consider a nuclear level corresponding to a closed shell
plus a single proton in a state with the angular momentum
quantum numbers l and j. Of course j = l ± 1/2. Let gp be
the empirical gyromagnetic ratio of the free proton.
Compute the gyromagnetic ratio for the 2s1/2, 1p3/2, level,
for each of the two cases j = l + 1/2 and j = l − 1/2.
9. Predict the ground state spins and parities of the following
nuclei using the shell model: 32𝐻𝑒, 178𝑂 , 34 41
19𝐾 , 20𝐶𝑎
10. Find the gap between the 1p1/2 and 1d5/2 neutron shells
for nuclei with mass number A ≈ 16 from the total binding
energy of the 15O (111.9556 MeV), 16O (127.6193 MeV)
and 17O (131.7627 MeV) atoms.
 203 1+
11. The ground state of 122𝑇𝑙
has spin–parity 2 . Give the
shell model configuration of this nucleus that is consistent
with the observed states.
12. The 1st two excited states of 178𝑂 nucleus are found to
1+ 1−
have spin parity as 2 and 2 . Write the proton and neutron
configurations for each of these states.

13. Show that the spherical Hankel function for l=1 is solution of
1 d 2 dRl 2m l (l  1) 2
( r )  [ E  ]Rl  0
r 2 dr dr 2 2mr 2

14. What are the parities and what are the upper and lower
limits for the angular momenta predicted for the ground states of
6Li, 14N, 28Al, 40K and 60Co?
15. The ground state of the nucleus 165 Ho67 has an electric
quadrupole moment Q = 3.5b. If this is due the fact that the

nucleus is a deformed ellipsoid, use the equation Q= 2 Ze(a2-b2) to

5

estimate the sizes of its semi-major and semi-minor axes.

Krane Book:
Chapter 3:: 1, 7—13, 17, 21
Chapter 5:: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,13
1. Das and Ferbel:3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.7
2. Henley and Garcia: 16.2, 6,10-12, 20 21and 18.10, 11, 15, 22