EN 613 - Radioactivity and Radiation in the Environment

Prerequisites: EN 600 and CH 601, or permission of instructor. Basic principles of nuclear structure and radioactivity; the interaction of radiation with matter and biological effects of radiation; natural and man-made sources of radiation in the environment. The second half of the course will focus on long-term environmental effects of radiation accidents (e.g., Chernobyl and others) and the problems of nuclear waste disposal, plutonium inventories from nuclear weapons, natural radon in buildings, and similar concerns. (See also PH 613.)
3 credits