Bringing Physics Research into Secondary Education

Rice University

University of Houston

Collaborators

Rice University

Dr. Marj Corcoran

Dr. Leonard Suess

University of Houston

Dr. Wei-Kan Chu

Dr. Ed Hungerford

Dr. Kwong Lau

Dr. Roger Mills

Dr. Larry Pinsky

Dr. John Wilson, Coordinator

Primary Research Areas

Ion Beam Physics

Medium Energy Physics

High Energy Physics

Department of Energy Secondary Education Initiatives

Ion Beam Physics

Quarknet

Rare Symmetry Violation Processes

Program Overview and Benefits to Students in Secondary

Education

Early Inclusion of Students in Research

• Stronger academic preparation

• Strengthens secondary science education

• Students make better career choices

• Students interact with University faculty earlier

Program Overview and Benefits to Secondary Education Faculty

Secondary Science Faculty benefit

• Contributes to Professional Development

• Strengthens secondary science education

• Remain abreast of advances in science

• Provides means to better counsel students regarding career decisions

• Increased Faculty awareness of preparation requirements for science careers

ProgramIntroduction to Particle Physics

• Brief Introductory Practicum including lectures from Rice and UofH physics faculty

Hands on research

• Ion Beam Characterization and Modification of Materials

• Air Shower Investigations

• Experimental Simulations

• Other

Http://spokane.tcs.uh.edu

UH facilities: 1.7MeV tandem accelerator

UH Ion Beam Analytical Capabilities:

• RBS, Channeling, PIXE (impurities)

• NRA on Carbon quantitative analysis

• Recoil analysis on Hydrogen profiles

• AFM smoothness studies

• AFM step height studies ----- DLC density

UH Ion Beam Materials Modification:

• Ion Implantation (impurities doping)

• Radiation damage

• Ion Beam Mixing

• Surface smoothing by Cluster beam (1nm)

• Point Defect Engineering

UH Facilities: Cluster Machine

The Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory

To The Heart of Matter

The Accelerator Racetrack

Hall C

What Really is a Lepton ?

MECO A Search for Muon to Electron Conversion

Opportunities

• Electronic Instrumentation Design

• Computer Simulations and Program Development

• Particle Detector Development

• Data Acquisition Programming

High Energy Physics at UH

•BTeV: Precision CP violation study in beauty and charm decays at the FNAL Tevatron (experiment under preparation)

•HERA-B: High statistics fixed-target proton-nucleus collisions at HERA (completed data taking)

•Detector development: Aging study of straw detectors (lab work)

BTeV

Research projects in BTeV

• Beam test of straw prototypes (FNAL)

• Aging study of straw detectors (UH/FNAL)

• Computer simulation of straw detector performance (FNAL)

• GRID computing in BTeV (FNAL)

HEP Research projects at UH

• Aging study of straw detectors using radioactive sources

• Precision measurement of charged kaon mass using RICH data from HERA-B

• GRID computing in BTeV

Conclusion

Inclusion of HISD in research for the Summer of 2004

Rice University

Two Faculty

University of Houston

Two Faculty

Collaborators’ Vitae

Selected Bibliography and Web Sites