Physics of Energy Sources

Editors' preface to the Manchester Physics Series xi
 
Author's preface xiii
 
1 Introduction 1
 
1.1 Energy consumption 1
 
1.2 Energy sources 3
 
1.3 Renewable and non-renewable energy sources 5
 
1.4 The form and conversion of energy 6
 
1.4.1 Thermal energy sources 7
 
1.4.2 Mechanical energy sources 7
 
1.4.3 Photovoltaic sources 7
 
1.4.4 Energy storage 8
 
Problems 1 9
 
2 The atomic nucleus 11
 
2.1 The composition and properties of nuclei 12
 
2.1.1 The composition of nuclei 12
 
2.1.2 The size of a nucleus 14
 
2.1.3 The distributions of nuclear matter and charge 19
 
2.1.4 The mass of a nucleus 21
 
2.1.5 The charge of a nucleus 24
 
2.1.6 Nuclear binding energy 27
 
2.1.7 Binding energy curve of the nuclides 30
 
2.1.8 The semi-empirical mass formula 32
 
2.2 Nuclear forces and energies 35
 
2.2.1 Characteristics of the nuclear force 35
 
2.2.2 Nuclear energies 36
 
2.2.3 Quantum mechanical description of a particle in a potential well 39
 
2.3 Radioactivity and nuclear stability 47
 
2.3.1 Segré chart of the stable nuclides 48
 
2.3.2 Decay laws of radioactivity 49
 
2.3.3 alpha, ß and gamma decay 57
 
Problems 2 67
 
3 Nuclearpower 71
 
3.1 How to get energy from the nucleus 71
 
3.2 Nuclear reactions 73
 
3.2.1 Nuclear reactions 73
 
3.2.2 Q-value of a nuclear reaction 74
 
3.2.3 Reaction cross-sections and reaction rates 76
 
3.3 Nuclear fission 82
 
3.3.1 Liquid-drop model of nuclear fission 83
 
3.3.2 Induced nuclear fission 86
 
3.3.3 Fission cross-sections 87
 
3.3.4 Fission reactions and products 88
 
3.3.5 Energy in fission 90
 
3.3.6 Moderation of fast neutrons 92
 
3.3.7 Uranium enrichment 93
 
3.4 Controlled fission reactions