Nuclear Reactor Physics and Design

Nuclear Reactor Physics and Design is the foundational discipline within nuclear engineering that explores the behavior of neutrons in a nuclear reactor to achieve and control a self-sustaining fission chain reaction. This field applies the principles of neutron transport, interaction, and diffusion to analyze and predict the state of a reactor core, a condition known as criticality. These physical models are then used to inform the engineering design of the reactor, including the selection and arrangement of fuel, moderator, coolant, and control systems, with the ultimate goal of creating a safe, stable, and efficient system for generating power or serving research purposes.

1. Fundamentals of Nuclear and Neutron Physics
   1. Atomic and Nuclear Structure
      1. Atomic Structure
         1. Protons
         2. Neutrons
         3. Electrons
         4. Atomic Number
         5. Mass Number
         6. Electron Shells and Energy Levels
      2. Nuclear Structure
         1. Nuclear Forces
            1. Strong Nuclear Force
            2. Coulomb Force in Nucleus
            3. Nuclear Force Range and Characteristics
         2. Nuclear Models
            1. Liquid Drop Model
            2. Shell Model
            3. Collective Model
         3. Nuclear Radius and Density
         4. Nuclear Stability
            1. Valley of Beta Stability
            2. Magic Numbers
            3. Stability Criteria
      3. Isotopes and Nuclides
         1. Definition of Isotopes
         2. Nuclide Notation
         3. Isobars
         4. Isotones
         5. Nuclear Isomers
      4. Binding Energy and Mass Defect
         1. Mass-Energy Equivalence
         2. Calculation of Mass Defect
         3. Nuclear Binding Energy per Nucleon
         4. Binding Energy Curve
         5. Significance for Fission and Fusion
   2. Radioactivity and Nuclear Decay
      1. Radioactive Decay Law
         1. Exponential Decay
         2. Decay Constant
         3. Half-Life
         4. Mean Life
         5. Activity and Specific Activity
      2. Modes of Radioactive Decay
         1. Alpha Decay
            1. Alpha Particle Properties
            2. Energy Spectrum
            3. Geiger-Nuttal Rule
         2. Beta Decay
            1. Beta-minus Decay
            2. Beta-plus Decay
            3. Electron Capture
            4. Neutrino Emission
            5. Beta Energy Spectrum
         3. Gamma Emission
            1. Gamma Ray Properties
            2. Internal Conversion
            3. Isomeric Transitions
      3. Decay Chains
         1. Natural Decay Series
         2. Secular Equilibrium
         3. Transient Equilibrium
   3. Nuclear Reactions
      1. Types of Nuclear Reactions
         1. Scattering Reactions
         2. Absorption Reactions
         3. Fission Reactions
         4. Fusion Reactions
      2. Reaction Kinematics
         1. Conservation Laws
            1. Energy Conservation
            2. Momentum Conservation
            3. Charge Conservation
            4. Baryon Number Conservation
         2. Threshold Energy
         3. Center of Mass System
      3. Q-value of Reactions
         1. Calculation Methods
         2. Exothermic Reactions
         3. Endothermic Reactions
         4. Relationship to Binding Energy
   4. The Fission Process
      1. Mechanism of Nuclear Fission
         1. Liquid Drop Model of Fission
         2. Fission Barrier
         3. Induced Fission
         4. Spontaneous Fission
      2. Fissile and Fissionable Materials
         1. Fissile Nuclides
            1. Uranium-233
            2. Uranium-235
            3. Plutonium-239
            4. Plutonium-241
         2. Fissionable Nuclides
            1. Uranium-238
            2. Thorium-232
         3. Fertile Materials
            1. Conversion to Fissile Materials
            2. Breeding Ratio
      3. Fission Products and Energy Release
         1. Fission Fragment Mass Distribution
         2. Energy Partition
            1. Kinetic Energy of Fragments
            2. Prompt Neutron Energy
            3. Prompt Gamma Energy
            4. Beta Decay Energy
            5. Neutrino Energy
         3. Decay Heat
            1. Time Dependence
            2. Fission Product Contribution
      4. Fission Neutrons
         1. Prompt Neutrons
            1. Emission Time Scale
            2. Energy Spectrum
            3. Multiplicity
         2. Delayed Neutrons
            1. Delayed Neutron Precursors
            2. Delayed Neutron Groups
            3. Delayed Neutron Fraction
            4. Importance for Reactor Control
      5. Fission Yield
         1. Independent Yield
         2. Cumulative Yield
         3. Yield Curves
         4. Mass and Charge Distribution
   5. Neutron Interactions with Matter
      1. Cross Sections
         1. Microscopic Cross Sections
            1. Definition and Units
            2. Physical Interpretation
         2. Macroscopic Cross Sections
            1. Definition and Calculation
            2. Relationship to Microscopic Cross Section
            3. Mean Free Path
         3. Energy Dependence of Cross Sections
            1. Thermal Region
            2. Resonance Region
            3. Fast Region
      2. Types of Neutron Interactions
         1. Elastic Scattering
            1. Kinematics
            2. Angular Distribution
            3. Energy Transfer
         2. Inelastic Scattering
            1. Threshold Energy
            2. Excitation of Nuclear Levels
         3. Radiative Capture
            1. Thermal Capture
            2. Resonance Capture
         4. Fission Cross Sections
            1. Energy Dependence
            2. Fissile vs Fissionable Materials
         5. Other Reactions
            1. (n,p) Reactions
            2. (n,α) Reactions
            3. (n,2n) Reactions
      3. Resonance Phenomena
         1. Breit-Wigner Formula
         2. Resonance Parameters
            1. Resonance Energy
            2. Total Width
            3. Neutron Width
            4. Radiation Width
         3. Doppler Broadening
            1. Temperature Effects
            2. Doppler Coefficient
         4. Resonance Integrals
            1. Effective Resonance Integral
            2. Self-Shielding Effects