Nuclear physics

1 27.1 Constituents of the atomic nucleus

Atomic nucleus, bound system of Anucleons.

Nucleon, generic term for proton and neutron.

Proton, positively charged elementary particle with spin 1/2. The magnitude of the electric charge of the proton corresponds to the elementary charge.

Neutron, neutral elementary particle with spin 1/2.

1.1 1. Basic characteristics of the atomic nucleus

Atomic number, proton number, Z, number of protons in the atomic nucleus, hence number of electrons in the neutral atom.

Neutron number, N, number of neutrons in the atomic nucleus.

Mass number, A of the atomic nucleus, the total number of nucleons in the nucleus,

Notation: The atomic number Z is given as left subscript of the atomic symbol X, the mass number A as left superscript, the neutron number N as right subscript:

even-even nuclei, even proton number Z, even neutron number N,

even-odd nuclei, even proton number Z, odd neutron number N,

odd-even nuclei, odd proton number Z, even neutron number N,

odd-o...