The aim of the course is to introduce the main physical principles to nuclear structure, reactions and stability. The course provides insights on multidisciplinary topics related to nuclear physics giving special emphasis on the description of the experimental concepts and to several technology applications to the field of the energy, industry, environment and medicine.

- Basic concepts and overview of the atomic nucleus. Introduction to scattering processes, total and differential cross section. Basic elements of quantum mechanics. Experiments and applications.
- Nuclear shapes and sizes, charge and matter distribution.
- Mass-energy equivalence. General properties of nuclear reactions. Experiments and applications.
- Nuclear stability, binding energy, semi-empirical mass formula, liquid drop model.
- Properties of the nuclear force. (2 credits)

- The radioactive decay law, production and decay of radioactivity, growth of daughter activities. Natural radioactivity, radioactivity dating, units for measuring radiation. Experiments and applications.
- Alpha decay, semi-classical theory of alpha emission, alpha decay spectroscopy. Scientific and industrial applications.
- Beta decay, beta-particle energy spectrum. Properties of the weak nuclear force. Beta spectroscopy. Scientific and industrial applications.
- Gamma decay, gamma-ray spectroscopy. Scientific and industrial applications. (1.5 credits)

- Interaction of radiation with matter.
- Heavy charged particles: Bethe-Bloch formula and Bragg curve. Electrons. Scientific and industrial applications.
- Gamma Rays interaction with matter. Scientific and industrial applications.
- Neutrons. Attenuation and neutron moderation. Neutron sources. Scientific and industrial applications.
- Detectors and nuclear instrumentation.
- Biomedical applications. (1.5 credits)

- Shell model. Non-spherical nuclei.
- Physical principles of nuclear fission.
- Basic fusion processes. Solar fusion and thermonuclear reactions. (1 credit)

- Introductory Nuclear Physics, K. S. Krane, Wiley (1988)
- Nuclear Physics and Particle Physic, B. R. Martin, Wiley (2009).
- Nuclear Physics ' Principles and Applications, J. Lilley, Wiley (2001).
- Learning material provided by the teacher.

Written and oral examination with theoretical questions and numerical exercises in order to test the knowledge of the contents and the expected skills of the course.