Friday Flyer - September 27, 2019
Spotlight on the Florida International University QuarkNet Center
Based at the FIU campus in Miami, this center began in 2004 and is led byJorge Rodriguez. It's been a few years since they had a QuarkNet workshop; Summer 2019 provided a restart in the form of a three-day CMS data workshop attended by four Miami-area teachers. During these days together, participants worked through classic QuarkNet data activities including Rolling with Rutherford and Calculate the Z Mass. Teachers also tried out the World Wide Data Day CMS measurement, then tested an early version of the new CMS masterclass and connected by videoconference with teachers at William & Mary and Catholic University of America who were also testing the new CMS masterclass.
News from QuarkNet Central
Just in! The first IMC 2020 circular of the academic year. This week's circular highlights W2D2 (World Wide Data Day), coming up on October 16.
Mentors and lead teachers, if you have not yet done so, please send in your attendance sheets and any other paperwork from your summer activities; also submit your annual report ASAP. If you have any questions, please contact Ken or Shane.
And here are a few calendar reminders:
- As you know (see IMC circular linked above), World Wide Data Day is Wednesday, October 16, 2019.
- International Cosmic Day is Wednesday, November 6, 2019.
- International Masterclasses 2020 will run from February 26 through April 8, 2020. Registration will begin later this fall. Stay tuned.
Physics Experiment Roundup
Physicists and engineers at Fermilab reach a milestone in the development of compact, portable particle accelerators. A space deep underground at Fermilab originally used for a neutrino experiment years ago will soon host MAGIS-100, an experiment that will test quantum mechanics at macroscopic scales. Researchers at CERN fight cancer using high-energy electrons.
Resources
Will the LHC tunnel become a new Orchestra Hall? Probably not, but that doesn't stop cellist Yo-Yo Ma from playing there. Ever wonder how 3D holograms work? The Physics Girl explores the answer to that question in this video. Will a new Higgs boson explain why there's so little antimatter in the universe? Astrophysicist Paul Sutter explores this possibility in this Live Science article.
Just for Fun
What's liquid, red hot, requires an incredible amount of energy to maintain, yet protects against both garden-eating pests AND marauding hordes? You guessed it . . . a lava moat! Find out how to build one in this video brought to you by Minute Physics and xkcd.
QuarkNet Staff:
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu