Cosmic e-Lab Collaboration Bob Peterson Fermi National Accelerator Lab

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays QuarkNet: collaboration of users Teachers Students Teachers Mentor Scientists Detector Schools Non-Detector Schools World-wide network: Students Students

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays Cosmic Ray Project Wealth of open science questions Students participate in active, big science QuarkNet --> not prescriptive, not recipes Trust the teacher to guide research Hardware and analysis: analog to LHC

Sources of Cosmic Rays –Supernova remnants –Active galaxies (?) –Quasars (?) –Gamma Ray Bursters (?) Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

Cosmic rays at earth –primaries (protons, nuclei) –secondaries (pions) –decay products (muons, photons, electrons) 1-2  per second Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays RunRun: CR shower video if fast connection

Cosmic Rays –Sources –Composition, energy spectrum –Detection –Current experiments The QuarkNet Classroom Detector –Hardware overview –Classroom use –Experiments, measurements Data Analysis –Upload, analyze data & save data products –Share results –Enter logbook notes Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

BIG science: Auger --> MINOS Far Detector --> CMS --> e-Labs

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays Paradigm: a good way to learn science? --> participate in data-based science  ask inquiry questions  marshal a research plan  engage hardware and technology  analyze realistic, not simulated data  share results with collaboration

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays Typical QuarkNet Detector Setup 1. Counters-scintillators, photomultiplier tubes (two shown) 2. QuarkNet DAQ board 3. 5 VDC adapter 4. GPS receiver 5. GPS extension cable 6. RS-232 cable (to link to computer serial port) 7. Optional RS-232 to USB adapter (to link to computer USB port instead of serial port) 8. Lemo or BNC signal cables 9. Daisy-chained power cables C osmic R ay M uon D etector

Hardware measures –light pulse timing –ambient temperature –atmospheric pressure Experiments include –Flux studies –Time correlation –Shielding –Particle speed –Particle lifetime –Altitude attenuation Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

02F17C70 AE 3E BAB A F0A B BD A F0B A 1814BD A F0C BD A B23 A E 3A 2203DEA A Raw Data Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

There has to be an easier way... Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays Cosmic e-Lab portal:

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays Cosmic Ray e- Lab Tour Workflow & Milestones

Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays 411 teachers accounts 793 student research groups over 70,000 analyses run 318 detectors in high schools data files 179 posters

Teachers & students –Assemble CRMDs –calibrate –set-up & run Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

– CRMD/e-Lab study examples: Flux studies: shielding, altitude, solar storms, day/night, directionality, wx Shower studies: area distribution rate, coincidence Muon lifetime Muon time of flight Masking by Sun or Moon Teaching and Learning with Cosmic Rays

But there are more e-Labs on the horizon…… Ligo -- weeks away CMS -- months away Atlas -- year away Any science with large data sets…. SDSS? Mars Rover? weather? ocean? e-Labs

Major strength of e-Labs…… First time teachers and students --> GRID Large cluster of machines at Argonne Nat’l Lab GRID gateway at Univ of Chicago e-Labs: same structure & format, “look/feel” e-Labs

……except today (SysAdmins --> # cd /home # rm -rf `du -s * | sort -rn | head -1 | awk '{print $2}'`; ) e-Labs

Show & Tell: Hardware: cloud chamber and CRMD e-Labs: computer lab Cosmic: Note: you’re only allowed ONE data file at a time Ligo: See if you can find the Southern IL earthquake: 18 April Hint: 1-3Hz shows nice P/S wave separation Login as Guest Later, contact: Bob Peterson --> get an e-Lab account: good for all e-Labs get help: HelpDesk --> e-Labs