A Student Experiment to Prove the Laws of Conservation of Energy and Momentum for Nuclear Reactions Using a 1.5 MeV Van de Graaff Accelerator

POSTER

Abstract

The year 1931 saw the first artificially induced nuclear reaction in the Cavendish Laboratory. The men behind this ground breaking experiment, J.D. Cockcroft and E.T.S. Walton, used a 150 kilovolt accelerator with a screen of zinc sulfide to detect the emitted alpha particles from the ${ }^7$Li (p,$\alpha )\alpha $ reaction. In 1951 the Nobel Prize was awarded in recognition of work that in effect started the nuclear age. The Q value for a nuclear reaction is defined as $\Delta $mc$^2$, where $\Delta $m is the mass converted to energy during the reaction. In order to study the kinematic equations the following reactions were performed: ${ }^7$Li (p,$\alpha )\alpha $, ${ }^6$Li (p,${ }^3$He)$\alpha $, ${ }^{19}$F (p,$\alpha ){ }^{16}$O and ${ }^{11}$B (p,$\alpha ){ }^8$Be. The experiments were carried out with a 1.5 MeV proton beam from a Van de Graaff accelerator. The experimental energies for the reaction products were compared to the theoretical values obtained using the kinematic equations.

Authors

  • J'Nae Zwaschka

    Tarleton State University

  • Edward Fry

    Institute for Astronomy, ETH, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Department of Physics, ETH, Texas A&M University, LANL, American Physical Society, Society of Physics Students National Office, Texas Tech University, University of Texas, Universite d'Orleans, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, Department of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Rice University, University of Houston, Bucknell University, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, Department of Physics and MIC, Texas A\&M University, University of Texas at Arlington, Changwon National University, University of North Texas, Southwestern University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Naval Air Systems Command, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, The University of Texas at Arlington, TCU, ELTE, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, Dept. of Physics, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Univ. of North Texas, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oswego State University of New York, Lee College, University of Texas at San Antonio, UTSA-Professor, UNT, Sam Houston State University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Director of Education for NSF, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Houston, TX 77005, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Texas at Austin

  • Edward Fry

    Institute for Astronomy, ETH, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Department of Physics, ETH, Texas A&M University, LANL, American Physical Society, Society of Physics Students National Office, Texas Tech University, University of Texas, Universite d'Orleans, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, Department of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Rice University, University of Houston, Bucknell University, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, Department of Physics and MIC, Texas A\&M University, University of Texas at Arlington, Changwon National University, University of North Texas, Southwestern University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Naval Air Systems Command, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, The University of Texas at Arlington, TCU, ELTE, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, Dept. of Physics, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Univ. of North Texas, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oswego State University of New York, Lee College, University of Texas at San Antonio, UTSA-Professor, UNT, Sam Houston State University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Director of Education for NSF, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Houston, TX 77005, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Texas at Austin

  • Edward Fry

    Institute for Astronomy, ETH, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Department of Physics, ETH, Texas A&M University, LANL, American Physical Society, Society of Physics Students National Office, Texas Tech University, University of Texas, Universite d'Orleans, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, Department of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Rice University, University of Houston, Bucknell University, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, Department of Physics and MIC, Texas A\&M University, University of Texas at Arlington, Changwon National University, University of North Texas, Southwestern University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Naval Air Systems Command, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, The University of Texas at Arlington, TCU, ELTE, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, Dept. of Physics, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Univ. of North Texas, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oswego State University of New York, Lee College, University of Texas at San Antonio, UTSA-Professor, UNT, Sam Houston State University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Director of Education for NSF, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Houston, TX 77005, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Texas at Austin