Nuclear Physics-I

PHY352
Lecture 22
“Fermi-Gas Model ”
By: Dr Muhammad Adnan
Asst. Professor, Department of Physics
KUST
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model
Outline

• This lecture is based on the Fermi-Gas model for understanding the

nucleon-nucleon interaction

Introductory Nuclear Physics

Kenneth S. Krane
Publisher: Wiley; 3rd edition (1987)

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model

• Fermi gas model is sometimes called the statistical model or the uniform Particle model. It was
proposed by E. Wigner (1937)

• It assumes that as a result of the very strong interactions between nucleons, the motions of individual
nucleons cannot be considered in detail, but must be treated statistically, i.e., obeying Fermi-Dirac
statistics

• The mathematical treatment of nuclei in this model resembles the discussion of free electron gas in a
solid state physics, where electrons move quasi-freely in a background of positively charged ions

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model
Fermi momentum and energy

• The theoretical concept of a Fermi-gas can be applied to systems of weakly interacting fermions
• Then, nucleons are considered as moving quasi-freely within the nuclear volume, the binding potential is
generated by all nucleons, those neutrons and protons are distinguishable fermions and are therefore situated in
two separate potential wells

• As a very simple approximation, these nuclear potential wells are considered as rectangular
• Each state is filled with two nucleons of the same type with different spin orientations, obeying
Pauli Exclusion Principle
• The two potentials, though, have slightly different shapes, mainly because of the Coulomb part
• The well for protons is less deep because of the Coulomb potential by the amount Ec
• And externally, the l/r dependence of the Coulomb potential extends the range and the last bound
nucleons have equal energy; and the zero coincides, as shown

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model
• Neglecting spin, the state's degeneracy n, i.e., the number of states of protons and neutrons within the spherical
nuclear volume V is given by

• For the low excitation energy (the nucleus in its ground state), called the temperature T=0 limit, the lowest
states will be filled pair wise up to a maximum momentum, called the Fermi momentum pF or Fermi level

• The numbers of these states follow from integrating the above equation

• Since each state can be filled with two nucleons of the same type, then the number of neutrons and protons are:

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model

• The corresponding Fermi kinetic energy which is the energy of the highest occupied nucleon level becomes:

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model
• The difference BE between the edge of the potential well and the Fermi level is rather constant for different
nuclei and equals the average binding energy per nucleon, BE/A ≈ 7 – 8 MeV

• Hence, the depth of the potential well, 𝑽𝟎 , is approximately independent of A and given by

Which shows that the kinetic and potential energies of the nucleons are of the same order. In this sense, nucleons
are rather weakly bound in the nucleus (similar to the case of electrons in a metal)

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk
TOPIC: Fermi-Gas Model

Thanks

Course: Nuclear Physics I, Course: PHY352, Instructor: Dr M Adnan, Asst. Prof Department of Physics, KUST, Email: madnanphy@kust.edu.pk