The neutron fission cross section of 92U235 and 92U238 in the energy range 0.3-12.5 MeV

The experimental and theoretical work was aimed at determining the neutron fission cross sections of U-235 and U-2S8 in the energy range 0.3 - 12.5 MeV with good resolution and reasonable statistics. The main instrument used was the 100 MeV electron linear accelerator of the laboratory, providing a pulsed neutron source in connection with a bremsstrahlung target. To carry out the research, it was primarily necessary, to understand the fission process in detail and the associated models. To describe it and the cross sections required the use of the liquid drop model, shell corrections, the optical and the statistical model. To see the present work in perspective, a review of past and present work in this field was necessary. The main instrument, apart from the accelerator, with which the experiments were carried out, was a high resolution gas scintillator, used as a time-of-flight spectrometer. This scintillator was developed by the author with Xenon as the gas in question, and by using a Cf-252 natural fission source for testing during the development. The monitor detectors, chosen for the experiments, were standard neutron detectors. During a series of accelerator tests the optimum electronic data collection system was developed by the author. This was assisted by a bi-dimension data storage programme for a FDP-7 on line computer, earlier written by J. D. Kellie. Apart from the time to energy conversion, which was done by a computer code by J. D. Kellie, the analysis of the data was entirely original, especially the background subtraction. Although the mathematical mechanism had been developed by J. D. Kellie, the criteria for this sub-traction were due to the author. This is also true for all normalizations and corrections. Interpretation of the general shape of the cross sections as well as interpretation of any apparent structure has been carried out solely by the author. The computer programmes for the theoretical calculations, including fission, neutron-capture-x-ray-emission, total scattering transmission coefficients and the final cross section calculations, have been written by the author himself, and only a code by J. D. Kellie for the calculation of the incoming wave transmission coefficients was adopted

Galileo Galilei: at the threshold of the scientific age

This new scientific biography of Galileo explores the influences on, and of, his exceptional work, thereby revealing novel connections with the worldviews of his age and beyond. Galileo Galilei's contribution to science is unquestionable. And his conflict with the church establishment of his time is no less famous. In this book, authored by a physicist and history scholar, Galileo's life and work are described against a backdrop of the prior scientific state of the art in his various fields of achievement. Particular emphasis is placed on Galileo's vision of the world in relation to historic and also future cosmological models. The impact of his discoveries and theories for the later development of physics and astronomy is a further focus of the narrative

Wie man Elementarteilchen entdeckt: vom Zyklotron zum LHC : ein Streifzug durch die Welt der Teilchenbeschleuniger

Dieses Buch erklärt die physikalischen Grundlagen und die Technologien der Elementarteilchenforschung und beschreibt allgemeinverständlich Teilchenbeschleuniger und -detektoren sowie ihr Zusammenspiel. An einigen Meilensteinen der Forschung – von der Erzeugung von Transuranen über die Entdeckung exotischer Mesonen bis zum Higgs-Boson – zeigen die Autoren den Weg von der Theorie über das Experiment zum Forschungsergebnis auf. Gravitonen, Higgs-Teilchen, Neutrinos und Quarks – das Interesse an den kleinsten uns bekannten Teilchen ist seit Jahrzehnten ungebrochen und rückt damit auch die Laboratorien in den Blick, die an die Grenzen der Physik vorstoßen: Neben dem größten Experimentierfeld, das wir haben – dem Universum selbst - sind es die gigantischen Maschinen der Elementarteilchenphysik in Großforschungseinrichtungen wie dem CERN und dem DESY. Mit ihnen versuchen Forscher weltweit unter Einsatz extrem hoher Energien Zustände zu simulieren, wie sie zum Beginn unseres Universums kurz nach dem Urknall herrschten. Anschaulich und klar geschrieben richtet sich dieses Buch an alle, die wissen wollen, wie man entdeckt, was die Welt im Innersten zusammenhält