HAC716C Fundamentals of Radioactivity (2 ECTS)

Overview

Description:
The objective of this course is to provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge covering the description of radioactive decay phenomena and to provide an overview of natural, induced, and artificial radioactivity.

Hourly volumes:

Lectures: 12 hours
Tutorials: 8 hours
Lab sessions: 0 hours
Fieldwork: 0 hours

Required prerequisites:

Bachelor's degree in science or health sciences.

Recommended prerequisites:

No changes

More information

Assessment:

written exam / final exam

Course Syllabus:

  • General Information:
    • History and Discoveries
    • Description of radioactive decay processes
    • The concept of a period of decline
    • Concepts of radioelements and radionuclides
    • Fertile or fissile material
    • Fission reaction and fission products
  • Radioactive decay:
    • Examples of affiliation with one or more bodies
    • Extension of the problem to n-body systems (Bateman's law)
    • Impact on the upstream portion of the nuclear power cycle
    • Impact on the management of certain types of nuclear waste
  • Radioactive families:
    • Cases of families with natural population decline 
    • The unique role of radon 
    • Applications of geochemical dating methods 
  • Inventory of radioactive phenomena:
    • Naturally occurring radioactive phenomena
    • Artificially induced radioactive phenomena
    • Induced phenomena
    • Human-induced contribution
    • The Role of Radon in the Radio-Ecotoxicological Inventory
    • Chemical, physical, radiochemical, geochemical, and medical applications

Director: N. Dacheux, ICSM, UM
Administrative contact(s): Claudie Fabry