Friday Flyer - November 11, 2022
Spotlight on the World Wide Data Day and International Masterclasses
World Wide Data Day (W2D2) and International Masterclasses (IMC) are at a sort of nexus this week. W2D2 just ended yesterday and IMC 2023 registration opened today. Both deserve some attention.
A total of 40 schools around the world contributed analysis of LHC data in which students collectively tested the responses of the ATLAS and CMS detectors to dimuon events by measuring the directions of the tracks. To do this, students filtered and analyzed some 36,000 events, albeit with some oversampling. Students and teachers connected in 22 half-hour videoconferences that ran throughout the day. Physicists - and some QuarkNet teachers - from just about everywhere moderated. You can learn more about the videoconferences and the 20 international moderators on the W2D2 Videoconferences page. Two more words about the measurement: (1) we changed the measurement this year thanks to the efforts of our own Tom McCauley - we plan to make the previous measurement into a separate activity - and (2) you can still do the measurement with your students anytime. Ask Ken or Shane about it.
IMC 2023 is now scheduled with CERN videoconferences running February 10 to March 31 and Fermilab videoconferences February 25 to March 31. Registration begins today! QuarkNet mentors and teachers: it is time to plan and lock down your dates and times. This year, you will be asked in the Fermilab videoconference registration to pick a 3-hour wide band on the day of your choosing - you also have a second choice - and we'll finalize the schedule around your choices. Here are the registration sites for Fermilab:
Please send one registration per masterclass videoconference. Registration via form is due December 12 - not really far off! We will work hard to make the masterclasses a success and keep the videoconfererences international and interesting; please join in as centers for a strong showing from QuarkNet. Mentors, please tell your colleagues - IMC is open to universities and labs everywhere. Contact Ken, Shane, and Spencer with your questions and requests!
News from QuarkNet Central
International Masterclasses: Registrations opened today for IMC 2023. (Did we already say that?) Read all about it in the latest IMC Circular.
Data Activities Portfolio: After extensive work, the TOTEM 2 activity is revised and improved, making for a great way to introduce quantum wave-particle duality. And - fanfare, please - we have a new Level 4 Activity, Research Using Coding. Check it out!
International Cosmic Day: Registration is still open until November 16 for this year's ICD, which will be held on Tuesday, November 22. Spend a day with cosmic rays and collaborate internationally! Learn more at the ICD website.
Physics Experiment Roundup
We have a varied sampling today so let's go by the sources.
Fermilab News has news indeed, especially about neutrino physics: MicroBooNE looks for sterile neutrinos while SBND makes progress. But that is not all. Here is a report on a really big asteroid.
CERN Bulletin brings LHC and cosmics together with this report on LHCf while CMS is at the "top" of the news with the first physics results of the new run.
Symmetry provides an article about LIGO and Physics Today informs us about a new probe to study the solar corona.
Resources
Want to learn a bit about how computational science is done at Fermilab? Go to Fermilab News to spend a minute with Sajid Ali Sayed and learn! In APS Physics, find out how IceCube is making fundamental discoveries.
We also have a pair of articles on what you might call "the physics life". Our students do not often know what being a physicist is like. They might gain insight from this Symmetry article on parenting in physics as well as from Physics Today on being a maverick physicist.
And today is the 48th anniversary of the discovery of one of our favorite mesons: H/T to Marge Bardeen for this tweet, with charm, about the Revolution of 1974, as described by MIT Technology Review.
Just for Fun
What is more fun than particle physics? You know: particle physics and large furry animals! Read up in Fermilab News on the the neighbors across the street from the Tevatron ring.
The holidays are on their way. Get ready to be physics-festive with Physics-in-Advent!
Xkcd.
One more thing: Today is Veterans Day, also Armistice Day and Remembrance Day. It is a good day to remember and to be thankful.
QuarkNet Staff
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Spencer Pasero: spasero@fnal.gov
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu