Ateneo - UPO

Electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, introduction to special relativity, particle accelerators, elements of quantum mechanics, nuclear magnetic resonance, radioactivity, radiation-matter interaction, x-ray generation

V. Monaco, R. Sacchi, A. Solano, "Elementi di Fisica", McGrawHill
J. Kane, M. Sternheim, "Fisica Applicata", EMSI
D. Scannicchio, "Fisica Biomedica", EdiSES

J.E. Coggle, "Effetti biologici delle radiazioni", Minerva Medica
R. Passariello, "Radiologia - Elementi di tecnologia", Idelson-Gnocchi
J.R. Greening, "Fundamentals of Radiation Dosimetry", Taylor & Francis
H.E. Johns, J.R. Cunningham, "The Physics of Radiology", C. C. Thomas Publisher
R.A. Fosbinder, C.A. Kelsey, "L'immagine radiologica", McGraw Hill

At the end of the course the student should know the basic concepts of electromagnetism, and the mechanisms of the interaction between radiation (charged particles, X and gamma rays, neutrons) and matter, with emphasis on the aspects most relevant to understand the instrumentation used in radio diagnostics and radiotherapy

The content of the 1st semester Physics course (Fisica MS0063)

Formal classes

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) can request dedicated services and tools by contacting the Career Development and Coordination and Student Services Staff and by consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-disabilit%C3%A0-e-dsa. Students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN, after contacting the University Staff, can contact the professor in charge of the course regarding the specific exam modalities and teaching aspects.

Computer-based written test and, upon passing the test, an oral examination covering the course syllabus, aimed at assessing the student's level of understanding of the subject. Sample written tests are made available on DIR.

ElectricityElectric charge, charge density, Coulomb's force, vacuum permittivity and relative permittivityElectric field, field of a point charge, electric field lines, superposition principle, electric field of a dipole along its axis, electric dipole moment, dipole in an external electric field, electric field of an infinite plane, electric field in a capacitor, motion of a charge in a capacitorWork done by the electric force, electric potential energy, electric potential, electronvolt, capacitor, capacitance, energy stored in a capacitorConductors and insulators, direct electric current (DC), resistance, first and second Ohm's laws, resistivity and temperature, electric power, Joule effect, alternating current (AC), RMS voltage and current, effects of electric current on the human body, groundingMagnetismProperties of magnets, magnetic field lines, magnetic dipole moment, Earth's magnetic fieldMagnetic force, Lorentz force, effects of a magnetic field on a current-carrying wire, Biot–Savart law, vacuum permeability and relative permeability, magnetic field generated by a current loop at its center, behavior of a magnetic dipole in an external magnetic field, magnetic field of a solenoidMotion of a particle in a magnetic field, mass spectrometerElectromagnetismFaraday's experiment, induced currents, Faraday–Neumann–Lenz lawIntroduction to Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic (EM) waves, speed of light in vacuum and in a medium, generation of EM waves, electromagnetic spectrum, energy carried by EM waves and wave intensity, quantization of energy and photonsIntroduction to Special RelativityEinstein's postulates, time dilation, verification of time dilation using cosmic muons, length contraction, mass–energy equivalence, electric and magnetic fields in relativistic reference framesPositron emission tomography (PET)Particle AcceleratorsLinear accelerators, medical and experimental LINACsCircular accelerators: cyclotron and synchrotron, with examplesIntroduction to Quantum MechanicsDimensions of atoms and nuclei, fundamental forces, limitations of the atomic model, Bohr atom, wave–particle duality, uncertainty principle, spin and the magnetic dipole moment of the protonNuclear Magnetic ResonanceSpin flip and relaxation, Larmor frequency, operating principle of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gradient fields, spin–lattice and spin–spin relaxation times, effects of radiofrequency fields in the semiclassical approachFree Induction Decay (FID), magnetization vector, spin-echo sequence, contrast agents, examples of NMR equipmentRadioactivityReview of nomenclature, atomic nucleus density, shell model, chart of the nuclides, binding energy, alpha decay and its kinematics, beta decay and its kinematics, neutrinos, gamma decay, decay seriesRadioactive decay law, activity, mean lifetime and half-life, natural radioactivityRadiation–Matter InteractionInteractions of heavy charged particles: stopping power, Bethe–Bloch formula, Bragg peak, beam widthInteractions of light charged particles: braking radiation, radiation length, bremsstrahlung and ionization, multiple Coulomb scattering, linear energy transfer (LET), cross sectionPhoton–matter interaction: photoelectric effect, Compton effect, pair production, linear attenuation coefficient, electromagnetic showers, X-ray diagnostics (fluoroscopy, radiography, computed tomography)Neutron–matter interaction: introduction to interaction methodsX-ray GenerationX-ray tube, characteristic lines, rotating anode, angular distribution of X-rays for thick and thin targetsCurrent and voltage in the X-ray tube, introduction to power supplies, load curves

Understanding of basic electromagnetism and of the interaction between ionising radiation and matter.