Cherenkov radiation, caused by beta particles moving through water faster than the speed of light, creates this blue glow in the core of the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Test Reactor. (Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory on Flickr. License CC BY-NC-SA.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Michael Short
MIT Course Number
22.01
As Taught In
Fall 2015
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
- Selected lecture notes
- Assignments: problem sets with solutions
- Exams and solutions
- Instructor insights
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.
Other Versions
Other OCW Versions
Archived versions: 