Particle Physics Masterclasses
On Monday 13 March 2017, Maynooth University will once again host the annual International Masterclasses in particle physics. These Masterclasses give secondary school students the opportunity to discover the world of quarks and leptons for themselves, by performing measurements on real data from CERN, meeting active particle physics researchers and linking up with like-minded students from other countries. We will join thousands of other secondary school students at more than 100 universities and laboratories around Europe and worldwide in a programme stretching over four weeks. There will also be Masterclasses events at TCD Saturday 1 April and at UCD Monday 13 March.
Physics at the most fundamental level - the smallest and most basic building blocks of matter - is an exotic world. But a few introductory talks and working with data from CERN will give the students insight into the fundamental particles of matter and the forces between them, as well as what went on during the Big Bang.
In the morning, the students will be introduced to particle physics, experiments and detectors in lectures given by active particle physics researchers. After having lunch with lecturers and tutors, they work on their own with data from the ALICE experiment at CERN. Afterwards they will participate in a video conference with students from Geneva, Heidelberg, Lyon and Padova and moderators at CERN, where they will discuss and compare their results.
For more information on the masterclasses, see the International Masterclasses web site.
Programme
Venue: Physics and Chemistry Theatre (PCT), Science Building, North Campus, Maynooth University (no 34 on this map)
| 0900 | Welcome and introduction | Dr J-I Skullerud |
| 0910 | "Quarks, Leptons and the Forces of Nature" | Dr. P. Watts |
| 1000 | Refreshments | |
| 1020 | "Particle Physics Experiments and the Little Bang" | Dr. J-I Skullerud |
| 1115 | Break for lunch with lecturers and tutors | |
| 1230 | Analysis of real data from the ALICE detector at CERN | |
| 1500 | Video conference with CERN and students from Geneva, Heidelberg, Lyon and Padova | |
| 1630 | End. Presentation of Certificates of Participation |
Registration
Registration is now closed. We will be contacting all applicants as soon as possible.
Please note that all attendees must arrange their own transportation to and from Maynooth. The campus is well served with train and bus connections, including a large number of special bus services covering most of Leinster. For details, see the Maynooth University Transport web pages.