All About STEM NEWS
Particle and Accelerator Physics Masterclass
Located in Cheshire on the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus, the STFC Daresbury Laboratory is a world-renowned centre of excellence specialising in particle accelerator technology. The laboratory has many international collaborations which include close links with CERN, and works to exploit and push the cutting edge of particle accelerator technology. This technology underpins research in particle physics, and enables the construction of accelerator-based light sources which are the research tool for many other scientific fields such as condensed matter and semiconductor physics, chemistry and catalysis, materials science, protein crystallography and drug development.
The Cockcroft Institute at Daresbury Laboratory is an international centre for accelerator R&D, and it will host the Laboratory’s next annual Particle Physics Masterclass days between March 6th and March 8th, 2018. It is a fabulous opportunity for year 12 and 13 students with an interest in physics to get a real insight into the technologies which underpin 21st century particle accelerators, and to see how these machines are used to push the boundaries of scientific technique and knowledge.
Staff from the Institute will lead this masterclass which combines lectures, demonstrations and hands-on practical sessions. The aim is to give an overview of basic accelerator technology and how this has been used to deliver recent projects such as ALICE (Accelerators and Lasers in Combined Experiments) and the currently under construction CLARA, a state-of-the-art tuneable laser light known as a free-electron laser (FEL).
The masterclass programme will include:
• A history of the Daresbury Laboratory, the Cockcroft Institute and the accelerator facilities it has hosted, including a guided tour of a particle accelerator.
• A ‘Particle physics and the LHC’ lecture delivered by the University of Manchester.
• An accelerator optimisation exercise to maximise particle beam collision rates in the LHC.
• A talk on the purpose and design of accelerator magnets including tour of the magnet test laboratory and surrounding engineering facilities. ⚠
• Demonstrations of vacuum, electrostatic acceleration and superconductivity – all critical enabling technologies in modern accelerators.
• Opportunities to discuss careers in science and engineering with our current staff, students and apprentices.
• A quiz (with prizes) on the material covered during the class.
The class runs from 09:30 until 16:00, and lunch with the Cockcroft Institute staff will be included – this is a great opportunity for students to talk to real physicists and engineers about what they do. Prior to the class, we will send participating schools a classroom preparatory exercise supported by a PowerPoint presentation in which students can estimate the electron beam energy in the ALICE particle source (the ‘Injector’) using a few simple measurements.
For further information or booking, please email Wendy Cotterill, or call on 01925 603 408.
Note to teachers:
• The masterclass is aimed primarily at sixth form students, though high-achieving year 11 students may also benefit.
• Attendance is limited to a maximum of 80 students per day. These students are split into 4 groups for practical reasons, with a maximum of 20 students in each group.
⚠Magnet test lab tour not suitable for people with implanted medical devices e.g. pacemakers!
The Big Bang North West 2017: A STEM-sational Success with Schools!
Headline Sponsor: AstraZeneca Inspire All at The Big Bang North West
Official Gallery: The Big Bang North West 2017
Big Bang North West 2017: The Movie!
Go Virtual with The Big Bang North West!
The Big Bang North West 2017: Your Amazing Feedback
The Big Bang UK Competition: Finalists & Award Winners!
Big Bang North West 2017: A Teacher’s View
Follow All About STEM on Twitter here
Like All About STEM on Facebook
Follow The Big Bang North West on Twitter here
Like The Big Bang North West on Facebook
