YAD-003 · The atomic nucleus Sample material

Nuclear forces

General description and properties of nuclear forces, methods of studying them, the deuteron, spin dependence, Yukawa's meson theory, isospin and the isospin invariance of nuclear forces.

Estimated time: 3 h 3 activities

Learning objective

Know the main properties of nuclear forces (short range, saturation, charge independence, spin dependence, tensor component).
Learn to draw conclusions about nuclear forces from the properties of the deuteron.
Understand the relation between the Yukawa potential, the pion mass and the range.
Learn to apply the isospin formalism.

Expected outcomes

Can list the properties of nuclear forces and justify each with experimental evidence.
Can calculate the mass of the exchanged particle from the range and vice versa.
Can explain what the spin, magnetic and quadrupole moments of the deuteron reveal.
Can find the isospin projection of nucleons and nuclei and demonstrate isospin invariance using mirror nuclei.

Interactive modelNuclear forces: the Yukawa potential

Activities

Lecture
Lecture · 1 h 20 min · required
Problem solving on the topic “Nuclear forces”
Practice · 1 h 20 min · required
Final test
Test · 20 min · required · pass ≥ 70%

Completion conditions

  • Lecture
  • Problem solving on the topic “Nuclear forces”
  • Final test — at least 70%