Pengaruh Nomor Atom (Z) Logam Target terhadap Pola Sudut Hamburan Partikel Alfa melalui Simulasi Model Atom Rutherford

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of the atomic number (Z) of target metals on the angular scattering pattern of alfa particles based on Rutherford scattering theory through numerical simulation. Classical Rutherford scattering experiments require sophisticated equipment and radioactive sources, making them difficult to conduct in educational laboratories. Therefore, this research employs computational simulation as an alternative approach to study the scattering of charged particles. The research method used is a numerical simulation implemented using MATLAB software by modeling the Coulomb interaction between alfa particles as projectiles and atomic nuclei of metals as targets. The target metals used in this study are aluminum (𝑍 = 13), nickel (𝑍 = 28), and silver (𝑍 = 47). The simulation was conducted in two stages. The first stage analyzed the influence of variations in the atomic number of target metals on the scattering angle of alfa particles at constant kinetic energy. The second stage determined the kinetic energy values required for the three metals to produce the same scattering angle. The simulation results show that the scattering angle of alfa particles increases with increasing atomic number of the target metal at the same kinetic energy. Furthermore, for the same scattering angle, the required kinetic energy of alfa particles increases as the atomic number of the target metal increases. The simulation results are in good agreement with analytical calculations based on Rutherford scattering equations. It can be concluded that the atomic number of the target metal has a significant effect on the angular scattering of alfa particles and on the kinetic energy required in the scattering process. This numerical simulation can serve as an effective alternative learning tool and provides a clear quantitative and visual understanding of Rutherford scattering phenomena.