Subatomic Physics Education and Outreach in Newfoundland€¦ · SUBATOMIC PHYSICS Physics 2400,...

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Subatomic Physics Education and Outreach in Newfoundland

Svetlana Barkanova

Physics, School of Science and Environment

Grenfell, Memorial University of Newfoundland

The 29th International Symposium on Lepton Photon Interactions at High Energies

August 5-10, 2019, Toronto, Canada

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Total Population: 525,000

St. John’s: 114,000

Corner Brook: 32,000 (18% Aboriginal)

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Program Objectives:

Support future innovation and economic diversification by attracting local youth to

science-related careers by promoting natural sciences to youth in Western

Newfoundland, particularly to youth in rural areas, females, and Indigenous students.

Utilize the complimentary knowledge, expertise, and resources at MUN’s Grenfell

Campus, the Qalipu First Nation and Parks Canada to develop long-term, sustainable

scientific and cultural outreach program on campus, in schools, and national and

provincial parks.

Coordinate our science-outreach content with the existing provincial curriculum,

develop resources for teachers and participate in professional teacher development,

especially in the areas related to quantum physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

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Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters (Muin aqq L’uiknek Te’sijik Ntuksuinu’k)

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School Visits

Campus/Observatory

Public Events

Energy

Intensity/Precision

Cosmic

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The three-prong approach for BMS search:

(My own field – precision EWC at NLO and NNLO, for MOLLER, P2, Chiral Belle etc.)

The same idea for science outreach:

Visits to schools with curriculum-relevant

lectures and demos supplemented by the

cultural content; resources for teachers.

Observatory tours and other physics-related

activities for youth groups on campus.

Community events on campus and at Gros

Morne National Park.

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Public events, free, open, with advance registration:

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Girl Guides visit to campus, July 31, 2019Grades 10, 11 and 12

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Fields of Physics: Acoustics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Atomic, Nuclear

and Particle Physics, Biophysics, Medical Physics, Chemical Physics, Computational

Physics, Electronics, Geophysics, Meteorology, Mechanics, Optics, Quantum

Physics, Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, Relativity, String Theory etc.

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BIG BANG

EE E = mc2=

Three most revolutionary ideas of physics:

Nicolaus Copernicus - proposed that the sun was the center of the solar system

Albert Einstein (The Nobel Prize in Physics 1921) -Theory of Relativity

Murray Gell-Mann (The Nobel Prize in Physics 1969) - Quarks!!!

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Reality Stew:

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particleadventure.orgplanck.cf.ac.uk

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?????

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WISE NL students (Grade 11) at Grenfell Observatory, July 31, 2019

FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY

Physics 2051, one night per week (Wednesday), 7:00pm - 9:45pm Includes observing sessions (weather permitting).

Topics include space exploration, observational methods, telescopes, atoms, spectroscopy,formation and evolution of planetary systems, and detection and properties of exoplanets. No pre-requisites. A basic knowledge of algebra is assumed. Open to high school students in their final year of high school and with a superior academic record under the concurrent studies category of admission.

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STELLAR ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Physics 2151, one night per week (Wednesday), 7:00pm - 9:45pm Includes observing sessions (weather permitting).

No pre-requisites. A basic knowledge of algebra is assumed.

Topics include light and gravity, atomic structure, thermonuclear fusion, the lives and deaths of stars, nova and supernova explosions, black holes and relativity, galaxies, quasars, cosmology, dark matter, dark energy, the Big Bang, and life in the Universe.

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SUBATOMIC PHYSICS

Physics 2400, lectures three hours per week.Prerequisite: Level III Advanced Mathematics or Mathematics 1090.

It is recommended that students have completed at least one of Level II and Level III high school physics courses.

An introduction to nuclear and particle physics. Topics include nuclear properties and models; radioactive dating; fission and fusion; nuclear reactors; accelerators; and classification and properties of subatomic particles. Applications in areas such as ecology, dosimetry, medical physics and nuclear astrophysics are discussed.

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+30.9% 2017 vs 2016

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Summary and Conclusions:

We focus on youth in rural areas, females, and Indigenous students, featuring female

and Indigenous role models, engaging story-telling, discussing career opportunities,

and emphasising a diverse set of skills required in modern science such as

cooperation and communication.

The key to making the program sustainable is utilizing the local knowledge and

complimentary expertise and resources.

Coordinating science-outreach content with the existing provincial curriculum can be

a bit of a challenge sometime. Be creative!

Offer a fun set of second-year physics courses. Offer research and engagement

opportunities to your students. Create a support system.

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THANK YOU!

The 29th International Symposium on Lepton Photon Interactions at High Energies

August 5-10, 2019, Toronto, Canada

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DSR applications to RASC and IDA (The International Dark-Sky Association)

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