Introduction

Why Nuclear Physics?

Nuclear physics governs the energy source of every star, the origin of every element heavier than hydrogen, and the technology behind both nuclear power and nuclear weapons. It is a domain where quantum mechanics, special relativity, and thermodynamics all converge.

The atomic nucleus — a sphere of protons and neutrons a hundred thousand times smaller than the atom itself — stores enormous energy in the strong nuclear force. Releasing even a small fraction of that energy, via fission or fusion, dwarfs any chemical reaction by a factor of millions.

How This Course Works

You will implement the equations of nuclear physics in pure Python. Each lesson introduces one concept — a formula from nuclear science — explains the physics, and asks you to write it as a function. Key constants (speed of light $c$, atomic mass unit $u$, Boltzmann constant $k_B$) are defined inside each function.

What You Will Learn

This course contains 15 lessons organized into 4 chapters:

1. Nuclear Structure — Nuclear radius, mass defect, binding energy, and the semi-empirical Bethe-Weizsäcker mass formula.
2. Radioactive Decay — Decay constant, half-life, the decay law, radiometric dating, and radioactive activity.
3. Nuclear Reactions — Q-values, Coulomb barriers, and neutron cross sections.
4. Nuclear Energy — Fission energy release, D-T fusion energy, radioactive decay chains, radiation dose, and neutron moderation.

Let's start with the nuclear radius.