Introduction to Nuclear Science / Edition 3

by Jeff C. Bryan

Overview

Written to provide students who have limited backgrounds in the physical sciences and math with an accessible textbook on nuclear science, this edition continues to provide a clear and complete introduction to nuclear chemistry and physics, from basic concepts to nuclear power and medical applications. Incorporating suggestions from adopting professors, the discussion of neutron cross sections is expanded, coverage of the nuclear fuel cycle is now included, and international terms are incorporated. This updated, expanded edition provides a much-needed textbook and resource for undergraduate students in science and engineering as well as those studying nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138068155
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/26/2018
Edition description:	New
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Bryan has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including one book chapter and an encyclopedia article. His research has been featured on the covers of one book, two journals, and two professional society newsletters. Dr. Bryan co-authored a nuclear chemistry laboratory manual with Dr. Sid Katz in 2011. In 2015, Dr. Bryan worked with Dr. Nivaldo Tro to revise the nuclear chemistry chapters in Dr. Tro’s General Chemistry textbooks. They also worked as part of a larger group of authors to write 30-Second Chemistry (a.k.a. Know-it-All Chemistry) in 2017.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Radiation. Mathematics of Radioactive Decay. Energy and the Nucleus. Applications of Nuclear Science I: Power and Weapons. Radioactive Decay: The Gory Details. Interactions of Ionizing Radiation with Matter. Detection of Ionizing Radiation. Applications of Nuclear Science II: Medicine and Food. Nuclear Reactions. Fission and Fusion. Applications of Nuclear Science III: More about Nuclear Reactors. Radiation Protection. X-Ray Production. Dosimetry of Radiation Fields. Appendix A: Useful Constants, Conversion Factors, SI Prefixes, and Formulas. Appendix B: Periodic Table of the Elements. Appendix C. Appendix D: Table of Chi-Squared. Bibliography. Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

… It manages to unify physical, chemical, biological, medical and technical aspects of nuclear science … Very useful are the many examples given in the text … The quality of the print and figures is good throughout. The book incontrovertibly deserves a recommendation as a good read for students taking a course in nuclear sciences and all interested readers on an undergraduate level.
—Contemporary Physics, Vol. 52, No. 1, January 2011

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Stacy M Hampton, BS (Froedtert Hospital)
Description: This book takes readers on a journey from the basics of radiation and radioactive decay to nuclear reactions and applications of nuclear science. This fourth edition is an update to the previous version, which was published in 2018.
Purpose: The book aims to provide an overview of nuclear science, making the subject matter approachable and understandable for individuals who are not extensively trained in math and science. It also seeks to address recent changes in the nuclear power industry and nuclear medicine. These are definitely worthy objectives, as they apply to a large population. The book meets its objectives; however, it delves deeper than the "basics" and readers must have extensive related education to gain any significant value.
Audience: The target audience is undergraduate students with limited backgrounds in physical sciences and math who are primarily studying to enter medical professions such as nuclear medicine or radiation therapy. The book meets the needs of its intended audience and does a good job of detailing the topics without overcomplicating them. The author is credible, as he has been in the chemistry field for a long time, and after many years of working in nuclear science and as a professor, he is quite familiar with the needs of this audience.
Features: The book provides an in-depth explanation of topics related to radiation and radioactive decay. This fourth edition adds specific topics such as nuclear structure and stays abreast of current teaching methods in statistics. It also includes extensive sample equations, graphs, and diagrams throughout the chapters. The book is very well organized, and although the number of equations presented is a bit daunting, they are well explained and reinforced with questions at the end of each chapter. One of the best aspects of the book is the way it presents the information in a very professional and technical manner, then breaks up the text with humorous anecdotes that give readers a breather.
Assessment: This book is approachable but thorough and provides the target audience with a go-to resource on nuclear science content. As a current nuclear medicine technologist, I believe this book will be a useful reference for answering questions from patients, coworkers, or the interns we train. The updated information in this edition justifies replacing the previous version; an entire chapter was added and another rewritten, and the author aims to correct any errors with each new edition. As the fields of nuclear power and nuclear medicine change, readers are lucky to continue to receive updated information from this book.

Doody's Review Service

"This is an excellent first guide to undergraduate and postgraduate students studying many aspects of the nuclear sciences, from the basics of radioactive decay to nuclear medicine and other applications of radioactivity. It is well written, combining good robust science with clarity and ease of reading."
—Nick Evans, Reviews, July 2011, No. 22, Vol 12

… It manages to unify physical, chemical, biological, medical and technical aspects of nuclear science … Very useful are the many examples given in the text … The quality of the print and figures is good throughout. The book incontrovertibly deserves a recommendation as a good read for students taking a course in nuclear sciences and all interested readers on an undergraduate level.
—Contemporary Physics, Vol. 52, No. 1, January 2011

From the Publisher