Nuclear Energy reading material

[DTMsurf]

Summary: I am looking for suggestions on an informative read surrounding nuclear energy

I am a junior year physics student at UCSB looking to go to grad school for nuclear physics and eventually work with nuclear energy. My curriculum at UCSB does not offer any explicit classes surrounding nuclear physics, although I do believe that our series on quantum physics does delve somewhat into it. Because of this I was wondering if anyone was aware of a nuclear physics or nuclear energy based textbook or journal that I can read to help introduce me to the topic.

I have taken all lower division physics classes at my school and I am also currently participating in a high energy physics research group however even if the text may be somewhat above my level I would still like to read through it and maybe come back to it as I learn and understand more concepts within quantum physics.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated as I want to learn more about this topic but I cannot through the classes offered at my school.

 

[gmax137]

The "nuclear energy" textbooks I am familiar with are really nuclear engineering rather than physics. Examples would be Lamarsh (undergrad level) and Duderstadt & Hamilton (more advanced).

Looking online I see these may be out of print (?) at any rate, they are expensive. Used copies or older editions would be perfectly acceptable. Look for used, or in a library.

 

[DTMsurf]

The "nuclear energy" textbooks I am familiar with are really nuclear engineering rather than physics. Examples would be Lamarsh (undergrad level) and Duderstadt & Hamilton (more advanced).

Looking online I see these may be out of print (?) at any rate, they are expensive. Used copies or older editions would be perfectly acceptable. Look for used, or in a library.

I will look into the Lamarsh textbook, I am also curious about nuclear physics as a whole, would you happen to know any textbooks that are more broad in their curriculum and steer more toward the scientific than the engineering portion of the field?

 

[gmax137]

Maybe the Atomic Nucleus by Evans? This was first published in 1955. It was old when I used it in the late '70s. I will let others chime in.

 

[anorlunda]

I learned from this book:

The Elements of Nuclear Reactor Theory Hardcover – January 1, 1952​

by Glasstone, Samuel, And Milton C. Edlund, (Author)

That book was written for both scientists and engineers. It include much of the relevant physics.

 

[Astronuc]

I am also curious about nuclear physics as a whole,

Krane, Kenneth S., Introductory Nuclear Physics, Wiley is a classic text for introduction to nuclear physics.

For nuclear energy, probably the most relevant would be Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, by Lamarsh, or others. There are no thorough textbooks on 'nuclear energy', since the subject area tends to be nuclear engineering, which is essentially, applied condensed matter (atomic) physics. The only thing nuclear fission (in fuel elements like U, Pu, Th, . . . ) and nuclear reactions associated with the various materials in a nuclear reactor, or fusion reactions in fusion reactors, and also similar nuclear reactions with the structural materials in fusion reactors. Otherwise, a lot of the field of nuclear engineering deals irradiation effects on materials (because we have to do modeling & simulation (computational physics/multiphysics) in order to predict how the system will behave through successive operating cycles), then there are design aspects of the plant, reactor system and fuel (and all the design calculations and modeling & simulation). Nuclear engineering is a multidisciplinary subject involving mechanical engineering (fluid mechanics/dynamics, thermodynamics, . . . ), electrical engineering (power generation, instrumentation & control, . . . ), materials engineering (developing field), chemical engineering, civil/structural engineering, environmental engineering, . . . . Corrosion engineering is a combination of mechanical, materials, chemical engineering disciplines.

The further from the core (fuel and structures), the less 'nuclear physics' one finds.

A source of references http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucref.html#c1 , most of which are dated.

One could look at reports/technical documents from IAEA and OECD NEA.

If one is on campus, one might visit some faculty who have some experience in nuclear engineering.
https://engineering.ucsb.edu/people/eric-mcfarland
https://engineering.ucsb.edu/people/glenn-gene-lucas

https://catalog.registrar.ucla.edu/course/2022/MECHAE135 - see the course description and see if you can find the syllabus and text(s).

Lamarsh (undergrad level) has two books, one on Introduction to Nuclear Engineering (very basic) and the other on Nuclear Reactor Theory (mostly the neutron/nuclear physics (aka neutronics) inside the core). There are more modern texts. Duderstadt and Hamilton is a more advanced (graduate) nuclear reactor physics text.

 

[dlgoff]

@DTMsurf
I didn't use it for a course but bought it for my own reference:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30918918589&cm_mmc=ggl-_-COM_Shopp_Rare-_-product_id=bi: 30918918589-_-keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5KaMzObY-gIVgic4Ch2vuwFrEAQYAyABEgJKq_D_BwE

 

[rpp]

Note that "nuclear physics" and "nuclear engineering" are different things. Nuclear physics is more interested in the science aspects, including quantum mechanics and what makes up an atom.
Nuclear Engineering is the application of nuclear energy. While you need to know the basics of nuclear physics, it is a lot more application based and modeling based.
It would be pretty rare for somebody who works in nuclear physics to transition to a nuclear engineering job.

The Krane book listed above is a good nuclear physics reference.

Lamarsh and Duderstadt and Hamilton (D&H) are good nuclear engineering references.
Both books are quite old, but they cover the physics well. They do not cover modern reactor analysis or computer methods.

Edit: D&H can be found online as a PDF file (legally)

 

[anorlunda]

It would be pretty rare for somebody who works in nuclear physics to transition to a nuclear engineering job.

I know of people doing nuclear engineering who have physics degrees.
I know of people doing physics with engineering degrees.

My nominee for the best nuclear engineer ever is Enrico Fermi.

 

[rpp]

My nominee for the best nuclear engineer ever is Enrico Fermi.

I certainly agree with this. The first and the best.

However, I'll stand by my statement that it is pretty rare for somebody with a nuclear physics background (not nuclear engineering) to work in the nuclear engineering field. It does happen, but it isn't common.

The engineering degree will focus more on concepts like thermal-hydraulics, heat transfer, and reactor engineering (e.g. things in the Duderstadt and Hamilton book plus advanced thermal-hydraulics and system analysis). The physics degree will focus more on quantum mechanics and subatomic particles (the Krane book). You do have to know some of each, it is just a matter of emphasis. I was taught out of both D&H and Krane.

Given that, there are people with a lot of different backgrounds working in nuclear engineering. This post is specific advice given to an undergraduate who is looking to go to graduate school and "work with nuclear engineering".

One exception that I know about is fusion. In that case, a background in physics or electrical engineering is probably more important because you need to have a firm understanding of electricity and magnetism.

My experience is also on the "reactor" side of things. There are many mechanical and electrical engineers that work in other areas of the plant.