Underground Neutrino Observatory The proposed next-generation underground water Čerenkov detector to probe physics beyond the sensitivity of the highly successful Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan

The SuperK detector is a water Čerenkov detector 40 m tall 40 m diameter stainless steel cylinder containing 50,000 metric tons of ultra pure water The detector is located 1 kilometer below Mt. Ikenoyama inside the Kamioka zinc mine.

The main sensitive region is 36 m high, 34 m in dia viewed by 11,146 inward facing Hamamatsu photomultiplier tubes surrounding 32.5 ktons of water

Underground Neutrino Observatory 650 kilotons active volume: 440 kilotons 20 times larger than Super-Kamiokande major components: photomultiplier tubes, excavation, water purification system. $500M The optimal detector depth to perform the full proposed scientific program of UNO  4000 meters-water-equivalent or deeper

SALTA’s Henderson Project is launched September 29, 2004

Clear Creek High School students set up the satellite modules

Basalt High School students move the detectors to their 2 nd location

Rates at Henderson surface base station (10,337 ft above sea level) = 2.5  rates at Lincoln, NE (elevation: 1189 ft) Data collected between Sept 29 – Dec 8, 2004 monitored 4 locations between depths of ft Raw rates in muon telescopes seen to drop from 10 Hz (surface rate) → 1 Hz → 0.5 Hz → 0.3 Hz Some preliminary observations

Channel 0,1 coincidences Channel 2,3 coincidences SALTA high school students are now analyzing the data identifying stable data run periods bad data channels …and learning about the statistical nature of random events Students will next learn to calculate accidental coincidence rates and statistical error

DUSEL: A National Science Foundation initiative to establish a national underground laboratory for research in physics, Earth and environmental sciences, civil and Mining engineering, and the Biosciences. “The science cuts across disciplines and Directorates (ENG, GEO, and MPS) and provides opportunities for transformational breakthroughs and to educate the scientists & engineers of the 21stcentury” Michael S. Turner, Assistant Director for Mathematics and Physical Science Division (NSF)

October 6, 2005 Media Day Henderson Mine Clear Creek High School physics instructor Nancy Spletzer and a few of her students set up some of their cosmic ray detectors

Henderson Mine Colorado

Henderson Mine Colorado Henderson Mine Colorado 500 Henderson Mine 500 CU Science Discovery 100 Arapaho Project 100 Morrill Hall Natural Science Museum University of Nebraska 100 each of SALTA Schools including Clear Creek High School 4000 will be distributed through the Minnesota Geological Society (National Center for Earth Science Dynamics and the Science Museum of Minnesota) University of Minnesota 2500 shipped to Colorado State University / Little Shop of Physics

flyer distributed via to all Boulder area science teachers in the “Little Shop of Physics” data base as well as University of Colorado introductory biology instructors Science Teaching Methods instructors Science Discovery Program Over 60 participants! For the 1 st workshop at Boulder, CO By the 4 th workshop in Golden, CO

No doubt lured there by the free dinner! …at which we picked their brains

Exploring Geotherms Andrew Warnock View cosmic rays in a mixing bowl Brian Jones Extract DNA from fruit Susan Pfiffner

DNA Extraction Geotherm Modeling

Building Cloud Chambers

Saturday, February 25 Colorado State University Over 4000 attendees last year! Little Shop of Physics Annual Open House

Through CSU’s Hispanic student services office El Centro we’re coordinating a joint meeting of the local chapters of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) where we’ll reprise presentations and hands-on activities and seek the input of the Denver area’s minority community members.