Cosmic e-Lab Collaboration
Bob Peterson
Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•QuarkNet overview
•QuarkNet Cosmic Ray Detector
assemble CRMD hardware & take data
•Cosmic e-Lab exploration
upload & analyze data
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Active QuarkNet Centers
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
• Cosmic Rays
–
–
–
–
Sources
Composition, energy spectrum
Detection
Current experiments
• The QuarkNet Classroom Detector
– Hardware overview
– Classroom use
– Experiments, measurements
Difference in Absolute Time
2000
– Upload, analyze data & save data products
– Share results
– Enter logbook notes
1500
Frequency
• Data Analysis
1000
500
0
0
10
Time Difference (ns)
20
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•Paradigm: a good way to learn science?
--> participate in data-based science
ask cosmic ray questions
marshal a research plan
engage hardware and technology
analyze realistic, not simulated data
share results with collaboration
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
May 2008
•419 teachers accounts
•835 student research groups
•over 65,000 analyses run
•314 detectors in high schools
•15275 data files
•192 posters
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
QuarkNet creates a collaboration
of users
Teachers <---> Students
Teachers <---> Mentor Scientists
Detector Schools <---> Non-Detector Schools
World-wide network: Students <--> Students
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•
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
Run: CR shower video if fast connection
http://astro.uchicago.edu/cosmus/projects/aires/protonshoweroverchicago.mpeg
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•Wealth of open science questions
•Students participate in active, big science
•QuarkNet --> not prescriptive, not recipes
•Provide resources and analysis tools
•Trust the teacher to guide research
e-Labs
BIG science:
• Auger -->
http://www.auger.org
• MINOS Far Detector -->
http://farweb.minos-soudan.org/events/
• CMS -->
http://cms.cern.ch/
--> QuarkNet Cosmic Studies:
direct analog to detector based particle physics
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•
Teachers & students
– assemble
– calibrate
– set-up & run
Overview: Cosmic Ray Muon Detector
Bob Peterson
Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•
The QuarkNet Classroom Detector
Cosmic Ray Muon Detector
(CRMD)
– plastic scintillator
– homegrown DAQ
– GPS timing
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
CRMD
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
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•
DAQ 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
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Types of counter configuration
1) array --> shower
counters distributed
2) stacked --> flux
counters spaced on common center
• Determined by type of CR study
• Student defined
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
NEXT SESSION: Breakout into small teams
--> Assemble Cosmic Ray Muon Detectors
4 counters: one team each
DAQ/GPS: one team
Next: cosmic e-Lab and UPLOAD data
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
QuarkNet cosmic e-Lab Teacher Accounts
Email the following:
•Name:
•Account Name:
•School:
•City/Country:
•Email:
To: Bob Peterson
--> rspete@fnal.gov
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Explore tonight
Cosmic e-Lab portal:
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
-->LIBRARY-->STUDYGUIDE
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
• There has to be an easier way . . .
cosmic e-Lab <-- tomorrow
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic e-Lab Exploration
Bob Peterson
Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
•
DAQ 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
19262F0A
19262F0B
19262F0C
23246B23
. . .
Raw Data
AE
80
28
01
A5
2453396
3E
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00
00
00
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01
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00
3B
01
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2E
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2A
01
3A
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1814BD14
1814BD14
1814BD14
2203DEA2
6341848883424871
053657.359
053706.358
053706.358
053706.358
053710.358
260105
260105
260105
260105
260105
A
A
A
A
A
6341848883426071
10
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0
0
0
0
0
+0365
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12.00
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
• There has to be an easier way . . .
--> Cosmic e-Lab
Lower the threshold to analyzing
real data
e-Labs
But there are more e-Labs on the
horizon……
•
•
•
•
Ligo -- weeks away
CMS -- months away
Atlas -- year away
Other 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”
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic e-Lab portal:
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
Follow:  Student Home
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Home
Login
Username:
Password:
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Home
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Library
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
 Study Guide
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
Workflow & Milestones
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Upload
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Pause: live action demo
Login
Goto: REGISTRATION
Add DAQ#
UPLOAD data: follow me
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Data
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Shower
more details later
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
‘nother live action demo
PERFORMANCE study
What is this telling us?
Why do this study?
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Posters
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

New Poster
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Site Index
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Assessment
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
Follow upper right:  My Logbook
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
Follow:  Teacher Home
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab
 My Logbook
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Data
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
More live action --> Examples
•Data Search
•Shower Analysis
•Flux Analysis
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray e-Lab Tour
http://quarknet.fnal.gov/e-lab

Data

View Plots
Reproduce analysis:
--> click on plot
--> run study again
--> change parameters
Teaching and Learning
with Cosmic Rays
Team Task:
a) Pose a simple CR research question
b) Select small CR data set
c) Run CR Analysis
d) Track your progress using the LOGBOOK
e) Write online Poster about study with plot
f) Share Tutorial about the QN portal
Tutorial Guiding Questions:
•How did you use the portal?
•How would you use the CR e-Lab in your classroom?
•How do you think students will use self-guided research?
•What makes self-guided research beneficial?
•Highlight one interesting feature you found in the QN e-Lab.