Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 3 sessions / week, 1 hour / session
Prerequisites
This course, which is the first subject in the Nuclear Science and Engineering undergraduate degree sequence, has no prerequisites. It is generally taken in the first semester of sophomore year, after two semesters of freshman calculus and physics.
Introduction to the Course
Welcome to 22.01! We have flipped the classroom—where you watch lectures or read textbook chapters ahead of recitations and problem-solving sessions. The choice is yours! Note: Videos are not available to OCW users.
Radiation is the central aspect which makes nuclear science and engineering (NSE) its own discipline, and sets the foundation for almost all of modern physics. We will begin by retracing the steps of famous radiation experiments and hypotheses. Next we will set the stage and context for our study of radiation, by showing details of the systems and reactors which use radiation. The rest of the course will be dedicated to describing the origins, interactions, uses, detection, and biological / chemical effects of ionizing radiation.
Required Textbook
Turner, James E. Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection. 3rd ed. Wiley-VCH, 2007. ISBN: 9783527406067.
Grading
| ASSIGNMENTS | DESCRIPTIONS | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|---|
| Problem sets (9) | Simpler calculations with either a lab or a couple of difficult problems | 4.4% each |
| Quizzes (3) | Testing your ability to use 22.01 topics, intuitively and mathematically | 20% each |
The last quiz is really just a quiz, not a full-blown final exam. It is given during the last day of class over a 24 hour period of your choice.
Homework Assignments: Building Skills, Testing Intuition, Confirming Theory
Approximately half of each problem set will consist of simpler questions, designed to build critical mathematical, scientific, and intuitive skills to solve problems in radiation science. The other half alternates between analytical questions of considerable difficulty and take-home laboratory exercises where you will have to make and explain measurements related to radioactivity.
Analytical Questions of Considerable Difficulty (Noodle Scratchers)
These will consist of open-ended questions, where you have to make key assumptions, choose your problem-solving approach, and work out the intermediate steps yourself. Grades for these problems will be based on how you set up the problems, how you define assumptions, and your intermediate work. We will usually give you the final answer so you can check your approach.
We will assign teams of 3–4 for the problem sets, changing the team makeup each month. It is up to you how and when you arrange to meet and work together, and whether it is in person or online through videoconferencing, Slack, or similar free services.
Everyone should still submit their own copy of the problem set, even if you work together to create shared solutions, MATLAB scripts, Mathematica notebooks, or however else you choose to work on the problems.
Working Together, Academic Integrity
Working together is OK, and required on the difficult problems (noodle scratchers)! When you work in a team, you must do the following:
- Acknowledge your team members prominently.
- Write/typeset your own problem sets (no xeroxing). This is to help reinforce all the learning objectives of the problem sets.
- State who did which parts of the assignment. If we sense that someone is doing almost all the work, we will meet with you to prevent this sort of thing.
- It’s OK to take one set of data together as a team, as long as you say who took the data.
In addition, all students must read the MIT guidelines on academic honesty and integrity.
Late Policy
33% of the value of a given assignment will be deducted for each calendar day late, as marked on the Canvas site, unless an extension is granted ahead of time. If you’re going to hand something in late, you have to tell the instructor early. We will be very accommodating. This way, problem set answers can be automatically released a couple of days after they are due.
