Spotlight on the Queensborough Community College QuarkNet Center
The Queensborough Community College (QCC) center is, well, different. Mentor Raul Armendariz has been gearing the center, along with sister schools from the City University of New York system, toward a large cosmic ray research project. This past summer, the two lead teachers engaged in cosmic ray research along with two high school students, 15 undergraduates, a master's student, a postdoc, and a faculty member. There are a number of reports posted in the QCC group on the QuarkNet website. The aim of all this work is to have a large cosmic ray network across New York City. Got spare scintillator? Raul and his team will put it to use!
News from QuarkNet Central
It is now officially autumn in the U.S. and, for QuarkNet mentors, that means football, apple cider, falling leaves, and, of course, QuarkNet annual reports. Mentors and other center leaders: Please submit your annual report by the middle of October. Reports should be submitted in your center group on the QuarkNet website. Not sure how to submit? We have how-to instructions.
Reminder of events coming up this autumn: World Wide Data Day on November 15 and International Cosmic Day on November 29. And masterclass registration is not far behind. (By the way, the Library for LHC masterclasses 2019 is now posted. On this site, choose the MASTERCLASSES button near the top and then choose LHC PROJECT MAP from the drop-down.)
Physics Experiment Roundup
Experiments this week are out of this world. Mike Albrow of Fermilab explains how the Parker Solar Probe, now underway, will study the solar corona as it spirals toward an orbit almost touching the sun. In Interactions.org, we read that Hyper Suprime-Cam in Hawaii has just completed its survey of galactic dark matter across the universe, giving some of the most precise data yet.
Resources
Need good reads in particle physics? This week, symmetry has them, from what it's like to run an accelerator to advice on not getting fooled in physics (it can happen). We also get some additional helpings of dark matter and more dark matter!
Just for Fun
You may recall Tom Lehrer, who periodically wrote and performed some songs back in the 60s and 70s; Physics Today recalls that he once put together his own Physical Revue at Harvard. And you know the Large Hadron Rap (don't you?), but did you know that Dr. Koul visited CERN and rapped about A Method to the Madness?
QuarkNet Staff:
Mark Adams: adams@fnal.gov
Ken Cecire: kcecire@nd.edu
Shane Wood: swood5@nd.edu