Friday Flyer - March 22, 2024
Spotlight on the University at Buffalo QuarkNet Center
Since its establishment in 2006, this center, guided by mentors Ia Iashvili and Avto Kharchilava, has consistently engaged local teachers and students in workshops and masterclasses. In 2023, it hosted two events, including a CMS masterclass in February and workshop held on August 17-18. The first day of the workshop centered on the latest developments at the LHC, featuring a mentor talk on CMS updates and activities such as the CMS World Wide Data Day measurement. Transitioning on day two, the focus shifted to neutrinos, complemented by demonstrations utilizing cloud chambers and cosmic ray detectors at UB Physics labs. The group worked through the NOvA masterclass measurement, providing invaluable feedback that spurred significant improvements to the activity. The center recently hosted a NOvA masterclass in IMC 2024...here's a picture from their videocon with QuarkNet staff and physicist moderator Greg Pawloski from the University of Minnesota.
News from QuarkNet Central
New Activity in the DAP: Within the last week, the 41st activity was added to the Data Activities Portfolio. It provides an example of how particle physics can be used to study kinematics, and is called How Speedy are These Muons?...check it out!
International Masterclasses: We are now fully into masterclass season! So far, so good. Want to find your videoconference day and time or even try to schedule a last-minute masterclass? Check out the Fermilab masterclass videoconference schedule. Want more masterclass information? Read the IMC circulars, found in the Organisation page of the IMC website. See the Just for Fun section below for a few (ok, more than a few) photos from various masterclasses.
Beamline for Schools 2024: The Beamline for Schools (BL4S) 2024 competition is open for high school teams to compete for the chance to perform an experiment at CERN or DESY. Learn more: Read the announcement from CERN!
International Muon Week 2024: Measure cosmic ray rates around the world during International Muon Week April 1-12, 2024. This is an opportunity for you and your students to see if the muon rate changes during the total solar eclipse in North America on April 8. Find out more information on this IMW 2024 website, including details on how to become involved and to register.
Data Camp and Coding Camp: We are once again planning some exciting camps this summer to take you to the next level in QuarkNet. This year, Data Camp is open to QuarkNet teachers by application rather than mentor nomination as we have done previously. Watch this space for applications and news!
Physics Experiment Roundup
From Symmetry...a summary of a portion of the 2023 P5 (Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel) report, and an article on preventing magnet meltdowns.
KQED looks at how the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) is unraveling the mysteries of the universe. The search for dark matter is indeed a world-wide effort, including at this lab in a tunnel in South Africa. An update from SURF on the continuing preparations for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
From CERN...Beams are once again circulating in the LHC, ahead of schedule. Cutting edge research often results in spin-off technology. CERN recently highlighted "knowledge transfer activities" from 2023 in the areas of healthcare, environment, aerospace, digital, and quantum fields. Here's another example of how CERN technology can be used to treat tumors. On a similar note, Fermilab researchers receive funds to "...speed up the transition of new technology from discovery to industry." Phys.org has an article on the muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab, and another on "inconvenient" resonances in circular accelerators like the LHC that can result in beam loss.
Resources
April 8, the date of the next solar eclipse that will impact much of North America, is quickly approaching. NSF has a webpage full of activities and resources to prepare for the big event.
Kirsty Duffy has a new Even Bananas video out on different theories of how neutrinos get their mass. Don Lincoln has released a new video on "the worst prediction in physics." Gizmodo shares one physicist's perspective on how human life fits into the larger cosmos.
From LANL: "Indigenous Women Find their Stride in Physics." From CERN: "The Dark Side of the Muon" and a resource that we've featured before, but is worth taking a look at again: A site for all things neutrino.
Just for Fun
Pi Day recently happend. Here's a unique and colorful way to represent pi, at least its first 10,000 digits. (H/T: Marge Bardeen)
Xkcd on physics vs. magic, moon landings, and the "moon armor index." Continuing the "space" theme...here's a video of the Space X Starship's dramtic re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
As mentioned above in QuarkNet News, we are deep into the 2024 masterclass season. Below is a small sampling of pics from a few masterclasses and a videoconference that have taken place so far this month.
- At the University of South Dakota, mentor Jing Liu coaches a student analyzing MINERvA data, and students learn about the search for dark matter during a lab tour.
- Colorado State hosted a NOvA masterclass that included a talk on neutrinos from mentor Bob Wilson, a videoconference with great student participation, and a set of hands-on "make-and-take" activities thanks to CSU's Little Shop of Physics. Oh yes...and giant pizzas.
- Kansas State University lead teacher Penny Blue shows students (and lots of them!) how to analyze CMS events. And here they are analyzing those CMS events! (Check out the KSU Facebook page and the KSU Twitter/X page for more.) (KSU photos credit: Bharat Ratra)
- Minnesota students had fun in a clean room (what a stylish bunch!), with a cloud chamber and analyzing NOvA data. (Minnesota photos credit: Mike Plucinski)
- We'll finish off with a screenshot from the first day of Fermilab-based CMS videoconferences of IMC 2024, in which moderator Rodolfo Capdevilla answers one of the insightful student questions.
A big thanks to everyone involved in all masterclasses for providing opportunities that are not only educational, but highly engaging, and downright FUN.
QuarkNet Staff
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Spencer Pasero: spasero@fnal.gov
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu