Nuclear Methods in Science and Technology

The application of nuclear physics methods is now widespread throughout physics & other disciplines such as chemistry, metallurgy, biology, clinical medicine, geology & archaeology. Accelerators, reactors & various instruments which have developed together with nuclear physics have often been found to offer the basis for increasingly productive & more sensitive analytical techniques. This book provides scientists & engineers with a clear understanding of the basic principles of nuclear methods & their potential for application in a wide range of disciplines. The first part of the book covers the major points of basic theory & experimental methods of nuclear physics. The emphasis is on concepts & simple models which allow a feel for the behaviour of real systems, & on providing good coverage of the subject matter. In the second part of the book the extraordinary possibilities offered by nuclear methods are illustrated through the use of many examples. The Mossbauer effect, slow neutron physics, activation analysis, radiography, nuclear geochronology, chaneling effects, nuclear microprobe & many other topics in modern applied nuclear physics are treated in detail. Applications such as tomography, the use of short-lived isotopes in clinical diagnoses, nuclear physics in ecology & agriculture are also included. Where alternative non-nuclear analytical techniques are available comparison is made with the relevant nuclear method to enable readers to judge which technique may be most useful for them. The book is completed with a bibliography & an extensive reference list for readers who want to delve deeper into a particular topic.