cosmic ray research in the rochester area
DESCRIPTION
Cosmic Ray Research in the Rochester Area. Susen Clark PARTICLE lead teacher Bioscience & Health Careers H.S. at Franklin Professor Kevin McFarland, University of Rochester. PARTICLE PROGRAM P hysicists A nd Rochester T eachers I nventing CL assroom E xperiments. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Cosmic Ray Researchin the Rochester Area
Susen Clark
PARTICLE lead teacherBioscience & Health Careers H.S. at Franklin
Professor Kevin McFarland, University of Rochester
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PARTICLE PROGRAMPhysicists And Rochester Teachers Inventing CLassroom Experiments
• Started as a QUARKNET center• Has involved more than 25 teachers over a
5 year period• Involves teachers from areas west of
Rochester to east of Syracuse.• Invite 6 new teachers/summer for a 3-week
program• Past participants return for a 1 week
institute
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The Goals of PARTICLE:
• Help local teachers learn more about high energy physics
• Provide teachers with equipment for lab work during their Modern Physics unit
• Get students to do research in high school
• Expose students to work of research scientists
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PARTICLE Teacher Summer Institutes
• Program:– ⅜ Lecture and Discussion
• Taxonomy and big picture of particle physics– Including experimental methods, lab tours, etc.
• Other modern physics: relativity, quantum mechanics
– ½ Lab work• Construct cosmic ray telescopes• Prototype student labs
– ⅛ Discussion of Pedagogy, Classroom
Applications
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Particle Program• During the school year:
– Professor Kevin McFarland (U of R) or the PARTICLE graduate student visits schools during the year to talk to students about various topics including the classroom research of students
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Particle Program
• During the school year:– Teachers have access to a shared
equipment pool• Cloud chamber• Laminated lead for
absorption study• E/m apparatus• Speed of light apparatus• Photoelectric effect apparatus
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PARTICLE Day
• Culminating ExperienceHeld in mid-MayStudents present their research
Powerpoint or poster format
University professors give a few lecturesStudents tour labs including the Laser
Energetics Lab
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Student Work at Franklin
• Inner city high school
• Physics is a semester
course for juniors
• First time completing an authentic research project
• Students work in groups of 3 or 4 to investigate a topic of their choice.
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Attacking the Research Project
• Students complete individual research to investigate cosmic rays.
• Find topics of interest.
• Sign up for lab time.
• Gather data.
• Analyze the data (excel).
• Prepare presentations.
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Work at Pittsford Mendon• Joe Willie’s students at Pittsford Mendon
http://pittsfordschools.org/webpages/jwillie/
• Data collected around time of solar flare. 9/18-11/11/03 Mendon Muon Run
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (hours)
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Mendon Research 2003• Single 3-week data run.
• Three class projects:
– Muon rate vs. pressure
– Muon rate vs. time of day
– Muon rate vs. geomag. Activity• (Using NOAA internet data)
Muon Rate vs. Time of Day
3.325
3.33
3.335
3.34
3.345
3.35
3.355
3.36
3.365
3.37
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time of day (Hours)
Pres
sure
Cor
rect
ed M
uon R
ate (
Hz)
2/28 - 3/17 Mendon Muon Run
y = -0.0561x + 9.0124
R2 = 0.327
3.15
3.2
3.25
3.3
3.35
3.4
3.45
3.5
3.55
99 99.5 100 100.5 101 101.5 102 102.5
Barometric Pressure (kilopascals)
Muo
n R
ate
(Hz)
'03 Mendon Muon Run: K index analysis
y = -0.0205x + 3.3911R2 = 0.9759
3.24
3.26
3.28
3.3
3.32
3.34
3.36
3.38
3.4
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
K index
Pre
ssure
Corr
ecte
d M
uon R
ate
(Hz)
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Work by other students . . .
• Muon Lifetime– Students’ value - 2.16 s
• Material absorption/shielding– Lead– Water
• Location, location, location– Rooftop vs. basement– NY vs. SLAC– (Airplane, Space Shuttle)
• Variation of muon rate with:– Pressure– Temperature– Direction– Solar Activity
• The list is expanding . . .
Greece Arcadia student measures
cosmic rays beneath swimming
pool
-40-20
020406080
100120140
30 60 90
120
150
180
210
240
270
300
330
360
390
420
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Where do we go from here?
• Jesse Chvojka, PARTICLE graduate student, has received a grant to work with several high schools on count rate vs. elevation by collecting data from plane rides.
• Students across the greater Rochester area are completing research that will be presented at PARTICLE day in May.
• Recruiting new teachers for the summer of 2004.
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Web Sites
• http://pas.rochester.edu/particle
• http://pittsfordschools.org/webpages/jwillie
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PARTICLE
• PARTICLE is supported by:– National Science Foundation– Research Corporation– Quarknet– Department of Energy