Notation & Nomenclature

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\[ \newcommand\f[2]{\dfrac{#1}{#2}} \newcommand\da[2]{\dfrac{d #1}{d #2}} \newcommand\daa[2]{\dfrac{d^2 #1}{d #2^2}} \newcommand\pa[2]{\dfrac{\partial #1}{\partial #2}} \newcommand\pal[3]{\left.\dfrac{\partial #1}{\partial #2}\right|_{#3}} \newcommand\paa[2]{\dfrac{\partial^2 #1}{\partial #2^2}} \newcommand\pab[3]{\dfrac{\partial^2 #1}{\partial #2 \partial #3}} \def\half{\frac{1}{2}} \]

\[ \newcommand\ket[1]{\left|#1\right\rangle} % |x> \newcommand\exp[1]{\left\langle#1\right\rangle} % <x> \newcommand\lr[1]{\left(#1\right)} % (x) \newcommand\lrs[1]{\left[#1\right]} % [x] \newcommand\lra[1]{\left|#1\right|} % |x| \newcommand\lrc[1]{\left\{#1\right\}} % {x} \newcommand\lrl[3]{\left.#1\right|_{#2}^{#3}} % x_limits \]

\[ \def\ie{\text{i.e.}\quad} \]

\[ \newcommand{\me}[3][\rightarrow]{{#2}#1{#3}} % Typical reaction \newcommand{\nr}[3]{{#1}\,({#2})\,{#3}} % Nuclear reactions \newcommand{\ele}[4]{_{#2}^{#3}{\textbf{#1}}_{#4}} \newcommand{\el}[2]{^{#2}\text{#1}} \newcommand{\til}[2][\mathbf{\sim}]{\underset{#1}{{#2}}} \newcommand{\b}[1]{\overline{#1}} \]

\[ \newcommand{\coulomb}[1]{\dfrac{#1}{4\pi\epsilon_0}} \def\degree{^*} \]

\[ \def\amu{\text{ amu}} \def\J{\text{ J}} \def\K{\text{ K}} \def\s{\text{ s}} \def\second{\text{ s}} \def\Psecond{\text{ s}^{-1}} \def\m{\text{ m}} \def\mm{\text{ mm}} \def\km{\text{ km}} \def\fm{\text{ fm}} \def\mum{\text{ $\mu$m}} \def\mus{\text{ $\mu$s}} \def\mPERs{\text{ ms$^{-1}$}} \def\eV{\text{ eV}} \def\keV{\text{ keV}} \def\GeV{\text{ GeV}} \def\MeV{\text{ MeV}} \def\MeVc{\text{ MeV/c$^2$}} \def\KeVc{\text{ KeV/c$^2$}} \newcommand\ttp[1]{\times 10^{#1}} % To The Power \]

\[ \def\en{\nu_e} \def\Aen{\b{\nu_e}} \def\mun{\nu_\mu} \def\Amun{\b{\nu}_\mu} \]

\[ \def\uraniumA{\ele{U}{92}{233}{}} \def\uraniumB{\ele{U}{92}{235}{}} \def\uraniumC{\ele{U}{92}{238}{}} \def\carbonB{\ele{C}{6}{14}{}} \def\nitrogenB{\ele{N}{7}{14}{}} \def\oxygenA{\ele{O}{8}{14}{}} \def\oxygenB{\ele{O}{8}{16}{}} \]

\[ % \def\com{\text{\scriptsize CM}} \def\com{\mathrm{\scriptsize CM}} \]

\[ \def\l{l} \]

\[ \def\g{\gamma} \]

The following terms and notation will be used throughout the course.

	Meaning
\(X\)	Chemical symbol to indicate the element.	\(\ele{H}{}{}{},\,\ele{He}{}{}{},\,\ele{Li}{}{}{},\,\)
\(Z\)	Atomic number that indicates the number of protons.	Also indicates the charge of the nucleus and the number of electrons in the atom.
\(N\)	Neutron number that indicates the number of neutrons.
\(A\)	Mass number \(= Z + N\).
\(\ele{X}{Z}{A}{}\)	Chemical symbol showing \(Z\) and \(A\).
\(\ele{X}{Z}{}{N}\)	Chemical symbol showing \(Z\) and \(N\).
\(\ele{X}{Z}{A}{N}\)	Chemical symbol showing \(Z\), \(A\) and \(N\).
Nucleons	Either a proton or neutron.
Nuclide	A term used to refer to the nucleus of an element.
Isotopes	Nuclides with the same \(Z\).	\(\uraniumA,\, \uraniumB,\, \uraniumC\)
Isobars	Nuclides with same \(A\).	\(\carbonB,\,\nitrogenB,\,\oxygenA\)
Isotones	Nuclides with same \(N\).	\(\ele{Ar}{18}{38}{20},\,\ele{K}{19}{39}{20},\,\ele{Ca}{20}{40}{20}\)
Isomer	An isotope whose nucleus is in an excited state.	\(\ele{X}{Z}{A}{}^*\)
Mirror Nuclide	Two nuclides whose number of proton and neutrons are swapped.	\(\ele{He}{2}{6}{4}\) and \(\ele{Be}{4}{6}{2}\).
Ion	An atom with one or more electrons missing (called a +’ve ion) or with one or more extra electrons (called a -’ve ion).