The discoveries of the nuclear particle, the neutron, and shortly thereafter the fission reaction in uranium are among the most notable scientific and technological achievements in the 20th century. Nuclear science and engineering is now a global enterprise with stakeholders in the universities, industry, and government laboratories.
The foundation of this discipline lies in the knowledge of the interactions of nuclear radiations with matter that has been gathered and used for over 80 years. In his latest book Nuclear Radiation Interactions, Emeritus Professor Sidney Yip presents a study of these interactions through their cross sections, with emphasis on neutron scattering and reactions.
“We see our students as scientists and engineers working with nuclear devices from fission power reactors to accelerators to detectors. To design and operate these complex systems safely and efficiently the understanding of radiation interactions and transport is essential,” says the author.
The book consists of three parts, nuclear physics fundamentals (Part I), nuclear radiation interactions (Part II), and neutron transport fundamentals (Part III).
While each stands on its own, it is the connection among them that makes the contents foundational to the curriculum. In particular, the relation between the unit processes of radiation interactions treated in Part II and the cumulative effects of the neutron interactions studied in Part III is a unique emphasis.
Other features which characterize the particular sense of purpose of this work are a contemporary vision for the relevance of nuclear radiation interactions (Chap 1), bibliographic notes (Chap 2), and an extensive set of problems for testing basic understanding.