Exploring the Junior Lab Experience at MIT: High-Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics
Welcome to the Junior Lab at MIT, led by Prof. Gunther Roland. This course offers a dynamic exploration of high-energy nuclear and particle physics, where you will learn through hands-on experiments. Experience making some of the hottest matter in the universe, collaborating with a partner to conduct experiments, prepare presentations, and write papers. Attendance and participation are crucial as you engage in a mix of introductory and long experiments, all emphasizing the importance of data integrity and scientific ethics. Get ready to dive into the world of experimental physics!
Exploring the Junior Lab Experience at MIT: High-Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics
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Presentation Transcript
Introduction to Junior Lab Junior lab web page: web.mit.edu/8.13
Who am I(and what do I do at MIT?) • Prof. Gunther Roland • Office: 24-504 • Phone: x3-9735 • AIM: PhobosRolandG • E-mail: rolandg@cern.ch • When I’m not teaching: • Basic research in High-Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics • Find these slides at http://web.mit.edu/8.13/www/handouts.shtml
When I’m not in my office, I’m usually here
What do we do at LHC ? • Make theHottest Matter in the Universe • 100.000.000 times hotter than the surface of the sun x 108
The Junior lab team • Dr. Emily Edwards eedwards@mit.edu • Junior Lab expert • Regina Yopak ryopak@mit.edu • Junior Lab expert • Scott Sanders ssanders@mit.edu • Teaching Assistant • Jackie Villadsen • Teaching Assistant • Cherie Abbanat abbanat@mit.edu • help for oral presentations • Prof. Gunther Roland Rm 24-504 x3-9735 rolandg@mit.edu • Section leader For more info, see web.mit/edu/8.13
Getting started • Find a good partner • 18 units: 6 in lab, 12 outside lab • this is not an overestimate • make sure you + your partner can coordinate schedule and work together efficiently • need to form partnership by next Monday • 1st experiment starts next Wednesday
Section organization • Max 16 students/section • Some sections are more crowded than others • amount of help you can get is ~ 1/enrollment • Contact lead instructor (i.e. me) if you want to switch • Sections need to be fixed before 1st experiment
Introduction • See first pages of 8.13 reader • Get pdf file from website: “Policies and Procedures”
Experiments • Major advances in science (e.g. Nobel prizes) • Learn the art + science of experimental physics • How to obtain good data • How to document your work • How to estimate errors • How to present your results • As close to real life as possible
Experiments • 26 sessions total (19 for experiments) • attendance is required • you will need the time • You will do • 3 intro exp’s • prep questions • oral presentation + paper for 1 out of 3 (within 10 days after exp) • graded, but grade not recorded • 4 out of 10 long exp’s (4 sessions each) • prep questions • oral presentation + paper for each • 2x30min per partnership for oral • 1 public oral in last week of semester
Experiments • If needed (emergencies etc) • extra time on Fri • signup sheet • never work alone
Papers and Presentations • Presentation within 10 days of last session for the experiment • Paper due midnight after the presentation • 10 point penalty per 24h delay • Any exception must be negotiated with section leader in advance
Grading Scheme • 10% attendance/lab performance • change ‘lead’ from exp to exp • 10% Notebooks • graded 3x in semester • info in reader + next session • 10% prep problems • come prepared, you will need the time • Exp can’t be started w/o prep question • 40% orals • Use help (Atissa) • 15’ are short • split topic between partners (but not along theory/experiment) • 30% papers • < 4 pages, due midnight after oral • both partners have to write their own paper
Schedule From http://web.mit.edu/8.13/www/calendar.shtml
Reading Material • 8.13 reader • Intro + exp section from web • Bevington: Data reduction and error analysis ($58) - Required! • Melissinos: Experiments in Modern Physics - library • Original papers: See 8.13 e-library on 8.13 webpage
Ethics in Science • Fabrication/Falsification of data • document everything as you go (Notebook) • complete record of everything you have done, including mistakes • Plagiarism • never use other work without acknowledgement • mark quotes as quotes • do not import text (from web resources) • Comparison to known values is ok, but not substitution/modification of your data, unless clearly marked • No tolerance in JLab
Safety • Electrical safety • be careful • never work alone • Cryo Safety • Radiation Safety
Homework • Find partner ! • Look at web.mit.edu/8.13 • Read introduction in reader • Read Bevington chapters 1-3 • Start learning LaTex • Decide on intro experiments and experimental line • Make use of your time now!