Unveiling the Atom and Its Nucleus: Discoveries, Insights, and Understanding explores how chemists and physicists have used scientific principles and experimentation to unveil the structure of the atom, factors governing nuclear stability and decay, modes of nuclear decay, and how the components of the atom interrelate to govern nuclear stability or predict its instability. Examples are featured, showing how discoveries (some considered insignificant at the time) have led to remarkable findings and resulted in our knowledge of the concepts and properties of the atom, such as Oliphant’s discovery of nuclear fusion, Bethe’s energy production in stars, and consequent current fusion energy development.
The book also provides a summary of current advances in vital applications of atomic energy, such as current applications in nuclear medicine, including positron emission tomography, hadron therapy, targeted hadron therapy and radioactive nanoparticles in cancer therapy, stable and radioactive nuclides in research to enhance agricultural production, food preservation, and applied nuclear fusion. It concludes by looking at the status of international treaties and efforts to control nuclear weapon proliferation and nuclear war.
The book also provides a summary of current advances in vital applications of atomic energy, such as current applications in nuclear medicine, including positron emission tomography, hadron therapy, targeted hadron therapy and radioactive nanoparticles in cancer therapy, stable and radioactive nuclides in research to enhance agricultural production, food preservation, and applied nuclear fusion. It concludes by looking at the status of international treaties and efforts to control nuclear weapon proliferation and nuclear war.
Table of Contents
1. Atoms, Elements, and Molecules: Early Concepts and Findings2. Characterization of Nuclear Radiation
3. Atomic Structure
4. Quantum Physics
5. Revelations in Nuclear Decay
6. Isotopes of the Elements
7. Radiation of Extraterrestrial Origin
8. Cherenkov Radiation
9. Nuclear Fusion
10. The Nuclear Era
11. Exotic Nuclear Properties and Decay Modes
12. The Internal Structure of the Proton and Neutron
13. Nuclear Forces
14. Anthropogenic Radioactive Elements
15. Mass and Energy Equivalence
16. Vital and Perilous Applications
