Friday Flyer - January 22, 2016

Spotlight on the Johns Hopkins University QuarkNet Center: The JHU center had an active year in 2015, including a teacher workshop that took place from July 20-24, student research that ran from June 30 - August 9, and involvement in the 2015 CMS Masterclass. During the workshop, teachers participated in both a CMS data and CMS e-Lab workshop, worked through activities in QuarkNet's Data Portfolio, discussed classroom implementation and heard talks from teachers and JHU professors. Nine students participated in the summer research and studied a variety of topics, including a muon lifetime study and muon flux studies using the cosmic ray muon detectors.

News from QuarkNet Central: Two reminders this week:
(1) Masterclass season is quickly approaching; centers involved need to either have an orientation (if new to masterclass) or an orientation update (if an experienced masterclass center). Leaders, register for an orientation or update (at least a week before your preferred date) using the Google form. Any questions . . . contact Ken Cecire.
(2) Applications for U.S. teachers are due on January 31 for the CERN High School Teacher Program.

Physics Experiment Roundup: The Dark Energy Survey, now in its third year operating the Dark Energy Camera, recently released early data creating the largest-yet dark matter mass map. On the neutrino front, first results recently submitted for publication from the NOvA experiment provide hints about the pattern of neutrino masses and the possibility that neutrinos and antineutrinos behave differently.

Resources: Is the neutrino its own antiparticle? A recent Symmetry article explores this fundamental question about these elusive particles. A Speed Trap for Dark Matter discusses the use of X-ray sources in the universe to identify dark matter signals; and, lastly, a prediction for six science mysteries that might be solved in 2016.

Just for Fun: Think it's fun to get up early in the morning? With the relatively rare opportunity to see the five planets visible to the naked eye in the sky simultaneously, you just might think so, whether you're a morning person or not! This New York Times article tells you how to view this "celestial spectacle."

QuarkNet Staff:
Mark Adams: MarkRAdams74@gmail.com
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu