Friday Flyer - December 1, 2023
Spotlight on The Fermilab / University of Chicago / College of DuPage QuarkNet Center
This center held its 17th annual summer teacher workshop at Fermilab on August 1-3, 2023. Neutrino fellow Mike Plucinski facilitated a NOvA Data workshop highlighting the new NOvA masterclass measurement. Teachers also worked through a number of activities that focused on statistical analyses of data and physics concepts. The workshop also provided time for teachers to share education resources with one another, and teachers developed plans to incorporate physics research data into their classrooms.
In addition to the summer workshop, this center hosted eight high school students for a multiple-weeks-long research experience, jointly funded by College of DuPage and Fermilab. Students worked with researchers on a wide array of topics, including cosmic rays, computing, and neutrinos. Presentations on the student research projects were conducted at the teachers' workshop during the final week of the summer research experience.
On November 13, Lead Teacher George Dzuricsko joined Spencer and Ken to lead a "90-Minute Masterclass" session at the Northern Illinois Science Educators Conference in Naperville, IL. This introduction to QuarkNet and masterclasses included several activities from QuarkNet's DAP, along with a quick analysis of ATLAS masterclass data.
News from QuarkNet Central
Mentors! Registration for International Masterclasses (IMC) 2024 is open. All Fermilab-based masterclass videoconferences - ATLAS, CMS, MINERvA, and NOvA - have a single registration form. (Convenient! Saves electrons!) Registration forms will close at the end of the day on December 8. After that, the number of available slots will decrease and registration must be done by email. Fermilab videoconferences run March 1-27 in 2024. Now that we are past Thanksgiving, please contact teachers, float some dates, and get on the schedule. You can also check out the latest IMC 2024 circular with information about the ongoing registration process.
Mostly for mentors and/or lead teachers: If you have not done so already, please submit your Annual Reports and invoices for the fiscal year that ended on August 31. Sooner is better! Not sure what to do? Check out these instructions or ask the staff!
Reminder: periodically check the QuarkNet Calendar for what's coming up in QuarkNet. When logged in, go to COMMUNITY > EVENTS to find this calendar. As we improve the calendar, you will see more information about, not only coming events, but applications, due dates, etc.
Physics Experiment Roundup
We'll start the roundup with a couple of articles from APS Physics: "Quark Picture Put to the Test," and "Uncertainty Beyond the Uncertainty Principle."
An article recently published in Science describes an extremely energetic cosmic ray whose track seems to point back toward a void in the universe, puzzling scientists. You can also read about this in an article from Nature.
In news from the LHC...The CMS experiment recently presented its latest search for new exotic particles, its first from Run 3 data. From ATLAS: Looking for SUSY in the LHC haystack. An article from Space.com considers the possibility that dark matter may be hiding in LHC jets. Symmetry brings us an article on how there's so much data from so many events at the LHC that physicists can't "save them all."
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is under construction and will be for quite some time before it starts taking data. In the meantime, scientist must develop theoretical predictions that will be needed to evaluate the future data.
Big Think brings us an article by Don Lincoln on how very small particle accelerators could be used to treat cancer.
Resources
There are four fundamental forces...right? (Strong, electromagnetic, weak, and gravity.) So...what is the electroweak force? Find out in this Symmetry article.
Next is our video line-up. A recent video added to the Fermilab YouTube page features Don Lincoln explaining how magnets work. A recent MinutePhysics video explores the bizarre physics of electric guitars. Perimeter Institute brings us a lecture entitled "Secrets of the Universe" by cosmologist Neil Turok where he shares his insights into the basic laws of the universe.
Be sure to check out the December issue of The Physics Teacher...lots of good stuff!
STEP UP will be hosting a couple of upcoming virtual workshops: Women in Physics on December 6, and Careers in Physics on January 18.
The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) will be hosting their 2024 Teachers' Conference in Santa Barbara, CA, on Saturday, April 7, 2024. This year's topic is "Supermassive Black Holes and their Destructive Tidal Forces." Registration is now open. Note that KITP has financial aid for travel and lodging that is awarded on a rolling basis.
Just for Fun
Fun with Fluids: Check out these winning videos from the Gallery of Fluid Motion.
Next, xkcd on Decay Modes.
We'll end this FF with a picture of a bunch of happy folks attending the recent Fellows Camp at Fermilab, where a subset of QuarkNet fellows came together to learn from one another in order to improve, expand, and enhance support to QuarkNet centers and teachers.
QuarkNet Staff
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Spencer Pasero: spasero@fnal.gov
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu