Using a square well to introduce nuclear physics

Abstract In reviewing the promotion and teaching of nuclear science (PANS), we present an approach that has worked well with French students in a third year master's class. We use a nuclear square well to explain the shell model. This approach is attractive, as it stems largely from one observation: that nuclear radii vary as A'/3. Students are able to make calculations unassisted and also address questions such as the evolution of energy levels with nuclear mass, the nonexistence of mass 5 and 8 stable nuclei, or the shell closures and magic numbers.