Upload
barid
View
30
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
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 Presentation
Citation preview
Cosmic Ray Researchin the Rochester Area
Susen Clark
PARTICLE lead teacherBioscience & Health Careers H.S. at Franklin
Professor Kevin McFarland, University of Rochester
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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)
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)
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
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.
Web Sites
• http://pas.rochester.edu/particle
• http://pittsfordschools.org/webpages/jwillie
PARTICLE
• PARTICLE is supported by:– National Science Foundation– Research Corporation– Quarknet– Department of Energy