Radiation Physics Interactive Education Apps

An interactive web-based learning platform for graduate-level radiation physics concepts, focusing on photon interactions with matter.

🎯 Overview

This project provides three comprehensive interactive web applications that help students visualize and understand fundamental concepts in radiation physics:

• 📸 Photoelectric Effect - Einstein's quantum theory of light-matter interaction
• 🔄 Compton Scattering - Quantum scattering of photons by electrons
• ⚡ Pair Production - Photon conversion to electron-positron pairs

🚀 Features

Interactive Learning Tools

• Real-time calculations with adjustable parameters
• Dynamic visualizations using Plotly and Matplotlib
• 3D geometry demonstrations for scattering processes
• Educational annotations and theoretical explanations
• Historical context and experimental evidence

Educational Content

• Interactive sliders for parameter exploration
• Multiple visualization types (plots, schematics, 3D models)
• Conservation law demonstrations
• Cross-section calculations
• Material property databases

Technical Implementation

• Streamlit-based web applications
• Modular architecture with shared physics utilities
• Real physics constants from CODATA 2022
• Responsive design for various screen sizes

📁 Project Structure

RadPhysicsMPHY604/
├── main.py                    # Main navigation page
├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies
├── README.md                  # This file
├── shared/                    # Shared utilities
│   ├── physics_constants.py   # Fundamental constants
│   ├── physics_calculations.py # Calculation functions
│   └── plotting_utils.py      # Visualization utilities
├── apps/                      # Individual concept apps
│   ├── photoelectric/
│   │   └── photoelectric_app.py
│   ├── compton_scattering/
│   │   └── compton_app.py
│   └── pair_production/
│       └── pair_app.py
└── utils/                     # Additional utilities

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd RadPhysicsMPHY604

2. Install uv (if not already installed):

   curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

3. Set up the project with uv:

   # Install dependencies and create virtual environment
   uv sync
   
   # Or run the setup script
   ./setup.sh

🎮 Running the Applications

Interactive Launcher (Recommended)

uv run python run_apps.py

This provides an interactive menu to choose which application to run.

Main Navigation Page

uv run streamlit run main.py

This launches the main page where you can choose which concept to explore.

Individual Apps

You can also run each app directly:

# Photoelectric Effect
uv run streamlit run apps/photoelectric/photoelectric_app.py

# Compton Scattering
uv run streamlit run apps/compton_scattering/compton_app.py

# Pair Production
uv run streamlit run apps/pair_production/pair_app.py

Alternative Commands

Once the project script is configured, you can also use:

uv run radphysics  # Interactive launcher

📚 Educational Content Coverage

Photoelectric Effect App

• Einstein's photoelectric equation (Eₖ = hν - φ)
• Work function for common materials
• Threshold frequency calculations
• Energy-frequency relationships
• Interactive wavelength converter
• Historical development and experimental evidence

Compton Scattering App

• Compton wavelength shift (Δλ = λ₊(1-cosθ))
• Energy-momentum conservation
• Scattering angle dependence
• 3D geometry visualization
• Polar plot representations
• Recoil electron calculations

Pair Production App

• Energy threshold (1.022 MeV)
• Nuclear field effects
• Conservation laws demonstration
• Cross-section calculations
• Process schematics
• Medical applications (PET imaging)

🔬 Physics Implementation

Accurate Calculations

• Real physics constants (Planck's constant, speed of light, electron mass)
• Proper unit conversions (eV ↔ keV ↔ MeV ↔ Joules)
• Relativistic effects where applicable
• Conservation law verification

Interactive Features

• Real-time parameter updates
• Multiple visualization modes
• Educational annotations
• Comparative analysis tools

🎓 Learning Objectives

Students using these apps will be able to:

1. Visualize fundamental quantum processes
2. Calculate physical quantities with real-time feedback
3. Explore parameter dependencies and relationships
4. Understand conservation principles in action
5. Connect theoretical concepts with practical applications
6. Analyze experimental data and theoretical predictions

🏛️ Academic Applications

Graduate Physics Courses

• Medical Physics - Radiation therapy planning
• Nuclear Physics - Particle interactions
• Quantum Mechanics - Photon-matter interactions
• Health Physics - Radiation protection

Research Applications

• Parameter studies for experimental design
• Educational demonstrations for lectures
• Student projects and assignments
• Concept validation through visualization

🤝 Contributing

This project welcomes contributions! Areas for improvement:

• Additional physics concepts (e.g., Rayleigh scattering, bremsstrahlung)
• More material properties and interaction data
• Enhanced visualizations (animations, VR support)
• Assessment tools and quizzes
• Multi-language support

📄 License

This educational project is open-source and available under the MIT License.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Physics constants from CODATA 2022
• Educational inspiration from classic physics texts
• Open-source libraries enabling interactive web applications

📞 Support

For questions, issues, or suggestions:

• Check the individual app documentation
• Review the physics calculations in shared/
• Open an issue in the repository

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Built with ❤️ for physics education using Python, Streamlit, and modern web technologies.