A Brief Introduction to Quarknet and Particle Physics Mike Strauss

Outline An introduction to Quarknet An introduction to Quarknet Some Themes for the Week Some Themes for the Week The Particles and Forces of Nature The Particles and Forces of Nature The Nature of Science The Nature of Science Particle Physics Experiments Particle Physics Experiments Other Good Stuff Other Good Stuff Connection to Cosmology Connection to Cosmology OU/OSU Involvement OU/OSU Involvement

QuarkNet Centered at Fermilab Centered at Fermilab Begun in 1999 Begun in 1999 About 50 participating universities About 50 participating universities A program to connect high school teachers with people doing research in Elementary Particle Physics (or High Energy Physics) A program to connect high school teachers with people doing research in Elementary Particle Physics (or High Energy Physics) Provide resources to teachers Provide resources to teachers Assist in bringing HEP into the classroom Assist in bringing HEP into the classroom Assist in improving science education Assist in improving science education Sponsored by NSF and DOE Sponsored by NSF and DOE

Quarknet at OU and OSU OU was one of the first 12 universities to be chosen to participate in Quarknet in OU was one of the first 12 universities to be chosen to participate in Quarknet in Approximately 40 teachers have participated Approximately 40 teachers have participated An ongoing program offering teachers the opportunity to participate annually An ongoing program offering teachers the opportunity to participate annually We usually offer an annual one week program We usually offer an annual one week program Research opportunities available Research opportunities available Opportunities at Fermilab and CERN Opportunities at Fermilab and CERN OSU joined Quarknet in 2006 OSU joined Quarknet in 2006 Ongoing collaboration between OU and OSU in physics research and Quarknet Ongoing collaboration between OU and OSU in physics research and Quarknet

This Week Talks/Discussion on Particle Physics Talks/Discussion on Particle Physics Activities that teach particle physics and can be used in your classroom Activities that teach particle physics and can be used in your classroom

The Structure of Matter Evidence for quarks was seen in the late 1960’s and fully confirmed by 1974 Evidence for quarks was seen in the late 1960’s and fully confirmed by 1974 What should every high school student (or science teacher) know about the structure of matter? What should every high school student (or science teacher) know about the structure of matter?

The Standard Model of Particles and Fields ForceEMStrongWeak The standard model also includes one undiscovered particle, the Higgs Boson The standard model also includes one undiscovered particle, the Higgs Boson The standard model does not include the force of gravity The standard model does not include the force of gravity Every particle also has an associated anti-particle Every particle also has an associated anti-particle

Hadrons Any particle made of quarks, like a neutron or proton, is called a “Hadron” Any particle made of quarks, like a neutron or proton, is called a “Hadron” We will present a lot of new nomenclature in the next week. We will present a lot of new nomenclature in the next week. “All science is either physics or stamp collecting” – Ernest Rutherford

The Nature of Science What is science? What is science? How would the average student answer this question? How would the average student answer this question? Is there a problem with how they would answer the question? If so, what? Is there a problem with how they would answer the question? If so, what? How can we address any of these problems? How can we address any of these problems? Observations about the presentation of the standard model in this talk? Observations about the presentation of the standard model in this talk? Is the standard model correct? Is the standard model correct? How do we know? How do we know?

Smash stuff together!! This field of research is called “Elementary Particle Physics” or “High Energy Physics” How do we know about these small particles? λ  1/E

Current HEP Laboratories CERN (Geneva, Switzerland) DESY (Hamburg, Germany) Fermilab (Chicago, Illinois) KEK (Tsukuba, Japan)

The Large Hadron Collider Housed in a tunnel 17 miles in circumference 300 feet underground on the French Swiss border

The ATLAS detector: A large camera to “see” subatomic particles. Most particles created in the proton-proton collisions decay very quickly, and the detector sees the debris (primary and secondary particles) from the collision.

Width: 44 m Diameter: 22 m Weight: 7000 tons A Torodial LHC ApparatuS

Also when particles collide Energy of motion (kinetic energy) can be changed into new particles with mass. The more kinetic energy, the more massive the new particles can be. E=mc 2 Since…

Now (14 billion years) Stars form (1 billion years) Atoms form (400,000 years) Nuclei form (3 minutes) Protons and neutrons form ( seconds) Quarks differentiate ( seconds?) ??? (Before that) LHC Seconds Time Energy Connection to Cosmology

OU and OSU HEP is primarily done within large international collaborations DØ at Fermilab: 500 physicists from 19 countries and 83 institutions DØ at Fermilab: 500 physicists from 19 countries and 83 institutions ATLAS at CERN: 3000 physicists from 37 countries and 137 institutions ATLAS at CERN: 3000 physicists from 37 countries and 137 institutions

Day to day experimental HEP details What we do: What we do: Build and test hardware Build and test hardware Develop and test software Develop and test software Analyze data Analyze data Where we do it: Where we do it: Much work can be done in Oklahoma via internet and videoconferencing Much work can be done in Oklahoma via internet and videoconferencing Travel to the lab and conferences is required Travel to the lab and conferences is required Graduate students and postdocs at lab Graduate students and postdocs at lab

Questions? This talk has been a very brief introduction to this week’s content. We will visit all these subjects in more detail as the week progresses.