Tanja Horn, CUA PHYS 575/675 Modern Detectors Course Intro Tanja Horn Phys 575/675, Spring 2012

Tanja Horn, CUA

PHYS 575/675

Modern Detectors

Course Intro

Tanja [email protected]

Phys 575/675, Spring 2012

Tanja Horn, CUA Phys 575/675, Spring 2012

Course Goals• My goals ;-):

− Provide an overview of experimental techniques used in nuclear, particle, astro, nano, biophysics

− Develop understanding of detectors and experimental techniques

− Convey basic statistical techniques and error analysis

− Provide the tools and basics to start research: hardware, statistics, analysis, etc.

Main focus are the experiments

You will learn as much as you put into this course!


Experiments• You will complete at least two experiments in this course

− Selecting one of them to be not your own research gives you a unique opportunity to learn about what’s going on in other fields!

− There are eight parts to each experiment – most of them are very easy ;-)

o Experiment discussion

o Oral proposal

o Performing the experimento Mid-experiment progress-report

o Experiment demonstration

o Experiment tour

o Rough draft and defense

o Written paper

Following these steps will also allow you to organize your work and manage your time efficiently

These are the typical steps for a real research proposal!


(1) Experiment Discussion• This is a 20 minute discussion of the experiment you have chosen

− This will help you to identify the appropriate measurement goal

The better you are prepared the more you will get out of the discussion

− It is also an opportunity to ask questions and/or advice on how to get started

− Reading the references and/or attending the appropriate lectures will help familiarize you with the options

It is mandatory, but not graded


(2) Oral Proposal• Supported by your lab notebook you will present a short discussion of

the experiment you plan to do, e.g., − What the physics behind the experiment is

You should already have begun to familiarize yourself with the setup of your experiment so that we can discuss in as much detail as possible

− How and with what equipment you will perform the experiment

− What the statistical design of the experiment is

Starting an experiment can be the most difficult part of the course, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and for help!


(3) Performing the experiment• Taking data is probably the fastest part of the experiments, and most

of your time may be spent

− Familiarizing yourself with the equipment

To receive credit for doing the experiment, you must demonstrate and explain the working experiment to the instructor

− Setting up your apparatus

− Testing and calibrating equipment


(3) Performing the experiment• Taking data is probably the fastest part of the experiments, and most

of your time may be spent

− Familiarizing yourself with the equipment

To receive credit for doing the experiment, you must demonstrate and explain the working experiment to the instructor

− Setting up your apparatus

− Testing and calibrating equipment

“Please CODA work…!” [First time data acquisition system setup…]


(4) Mid-experiment progress report• The nature of the report depends on the experiment, but will, at least,

consist of a review of your notebook

− Progress reports will be scheduled on the calendar

These are meant to help you!


(5) Experiment Demonstration• You will demonstrate a working experiment to the instructor at a

mutually agreed upon time

− Showing how various components of the instrumentation work and how data are collected

The demonstration can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on your preparation

• The demonstration will consist of

− Justifying the specific choice of instrumentation

− Explaining the data and analysis


(6) Experiment Tour

• Near the end of each experiment you will give a qualitative explanation of your experiment to your classmates

This exercise will give you an opportunity to explain what you are doing to others to benefit from your newfound knowledge!

• You should prepare a talk of 10-15 minutes

• If you can show live/real signals from your experiment


(7) Rough Draft and defense

• The rough draft is the chance for you to get feedback on what your final paper should look like.

This step should help you spend you time more effectively

− You should have figures, captions, and tables ready for this draft

− An outline of your paper could be helpful

The rough draft is not graded, but essential if your final paper is going to meet your expectations

• The defense is just the process of supporting your draft with your notebook as support for, e.g., calculations, figures, uncertainties


(8) Written Paper• The final paper should include

− A summary of the relevant theoretical background (few pages at most)

Emphasis is on quality and validity of the work, not on getting the right results

− Description of how the experiment was performed− Data and analysis

− In-depth discussion of errors

− Results− Conclusions

• Typed in manuscript style of an article for a journal of the American Institute of Physics

• Contained appropriately footnoted references


Grades

• We need to give grades, but you should not worry about them.

− Lectures and attendance on scheduled lab days (10%)

• Grades will be based on:

− Experiment documentation (10%)

− Experiments (70%)

− Seminar (10%)


Lectures (10%)• Attendance for the first hour of the class scheduled time and for the

last three hours of the lab session is mandatory.

− Using equipment

− Performing experiments

− Statistical and error analysis

− Writing papers

• Lectures will cover practical aspects of the work in the laboratory, for instance,

− Preparing presentations

This is a regular scheduled time where we have the opportunity to discuss your progress on the experiments!


Experiment documentation (10%)• You are required to keep a bound page-numbered notebook in which

all your work on your experiments is documented in ink

− A summary of your reading and study on the experimental background

− Experiment design

− Preliminary calculations and error studies, e.g., what will be the most significant error?

− Description and characteristics of the instruments used and their calibration

• Keep your notebook as a research journal in chronological order with each entry dated. Include:

− Analysis of the procedure and first data taking to check feasibility

Learning to keep a research journal is an important skill as a scientist and essential to doing good experiments!

− Detailed recording of final data with enough detail of gains, equipment, etc.


Experiment documentation (10%)• The purpose of doing the experiment should be to obtain the best

possible result subject to the constraints of time and equipment

Example: it makes little sense to devote a great deal of time and effort to measure a value to 1 part in 104 if you know the calibration is no better than 1%!


Experiments (70%)• 1st experiment (30%)

• 2nd experiment (40%)

− Proposal (5%)

− In-lab work and lab notebook (10%)

− Paper (15%)

− Proposal (5%)

− In-lab work and lab notebook (10%)

− Paper (25%)


Seminar• You will give this 10 minute talk at the end of the semester

− Subject can be either your 1st or 2nd experiment

• Level and format of the talk should be similar to contributed papers at an APS meeting

This is an opportunity for you to get experience in giving scientific presentations!

• Attendance at and giving a talk in these seminars is required to pass the course


Course Goals and Feedback

• Feedback and suggestions are welcome!− Don’t wait until the end of the semester. This would be a waste of

everyone’s time

− Your input will help shape this class

− Suggestions on topics you are interested in and would like to see covered are very welcome.

• Leaving feedback

− I prefer you come and see me, or email me with feedback


Textbooks

• There is no single good textbook for this course. This is research!− Don’t wait until the end of the semester. This would be a waste of

everyone’s time

− Your input will help shape this class

− Suggestions on topics you are interested in and would like to see covered are very welcome.

• As a researcher I recommend that you own at least one experimental methods and one statistics book

− Bevington, “Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences”

− Melissinos, “Experiments in Modern Physics” or

− Leo, “Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments”


Course Schedule

• See our class website: http://faculty.cua.edu/hornt/Phys575_675

• The first three weeks

Intro today

Introductions to different experimental techniques


List of experiments• NP-1 Cosmic Rays

• NP-2 Lifetime of the Cosmic Ray Muon

Check out lectures next week for availability

• NP-3 Characterization of Photo-Sensors

• NP-4 Optical properties of aerogel

• NS-1 Characterization of Electrical Transport Properties

• NS-2 Fabrication of nanowires/thin films

• NS-3 Characterization of nanowires/thin films

• DAQ Development of Data Acquisition Techniques

• BP-1 Single Molecule Properties

Let the fun begin!!


Comments & Questions

Email me (Tanja Horn) with any questions of concerns: [email protected]


Two short excercises….


Course Goals

What are your fields of interest?

• Nuclear physics?

• Astro/cosmology?

• Nanoscience

• Condensed matter

• Biophysics

• Astro-/particle physics?


Course Goals

What do you hope to get out of the course? What are your expectations for PHY 575/675?

• Can be general or specific

• What would you like to learn

• Please take 2 minutes to write down some personal goals on a piece of paper

Documents

Tanja Horn, CUA PHYS 575/675 Modern Detectors Course Intro Tanja Horn Phys 575/675, Spring 2012