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