Relativity Workshop at OSU 2024

Submitted by kcecire
Published: | Group(s):
Oklahoma State University QuarkNet Center

 

 

 

Agenda

Monday July 29

Time (local)ActivityRemarks
09:00Coffee, introductions, and setting the stage
09:30Data Activity: Mean Lifetime Part I: DiceLifetime calculation practice
10:15Break 
10:30Data Activity: Mean Lifetime Part II: Cosmic MuonsEstablish a time baseline.
11:15Introduction to Special RelativityOSU or OU physicist
12:00Lunch 
13:00Data Activity: How Speedy are These Muons?Establish a speed baseline.
13:45Relativity Concepts Tutorial 
14:30Break 
14:45Calculation tutorial 2Applying time or length transformations to cosmic ray muons
15:15Data Activity: Energy, Momentum, and Mass

Extend E=mc2.  (Explanation by Michael Fowler)

 

Editable Google Sheet

 

Minute Physics E=mc2 video

16:00End of day 

 

Tuesday July 30

Time (local) ActivityRemarks
09:00Coffee and discussion 
09:15Classic videoEither Time Dilation or Ultimate Speed 
10:00Break 
10:15

Group calculation 2

 

Find the mass of a muon (note relativistic momentum is p = mv/sqrt(1-v2/c2) where m is invariant mass. Assume p = 5.27 GeV/c and v = 0.99c. [This may be replaced with an actual data activity. See below.]

Muon Data Histogram/Google Sheet

11:00

Data Activity: Z mass calculation

Find the masses of Z bosons that decay into muons (data) (lab sheet)

(Subatomic Bomb Squad video)

If we finish early, Implementation Plans work

12:00Lunch 
13:00Code activity: J/Psi mass in two reference framestake break as needed
14:15Summing up

Main concepts:

  • Lorentz transformations
  • Energy-mass-momentum
  • Invariant quantities

Special Relativity Brain Dump

14:45Break 
15:00TBD 
16:00End of workshop 

 

Wednesday July 31

Time (local) ActivityRemarks
09:00Coffee and discussion 
09:15Spacetime 
10:15Break 
10:30Experiments in Curved Space 
11:30Discussion 
12:00Lunch 
13:00Black Holes 
13:45Discussion 
14:00Break 
14:15The Expanding Universe 
14:45Implementation plans 
15:45Survey 
16:00End of workshop