Teaching with Data: Fermilab Center Muon Virtual Workshop 2020

Submitted by spasero
Published: | Group(s):
Fermilab / University of Chicago / College of DuPage Center

 

 

MINERvA Detector                                        ​

 

 

July 28-30, 2020

Online - Zoom Link:  https://fnal.zoom.us/j/93096253702

Tiny URL for this page: https://tinyurl.com/muonfnal2020

 

 

Objectives for Muon Workshop

Participating teachers will:

  • Apply physics principles to reduce or explain the observations in data investigations.
  • Examine simulated and experimental data. Identify patterns within the data and consider causes of those patterns. 
  • Create, organize and interpret data plots; make claims based on evidence and provide explanations; identify data limitations.
  • Develop a plan for taking students from their current level of data use to subsequent levels using activities and/or ideas from the workshop.

We will also provide opportunities to engage in critical dialogue among teaching colleagues about what they learn in the workshop.

Agenda 

Times and specific activities are subject to adjustment - all times US Central.

Tuesday, July 28

09:00    Welcome & Introductions (Spencer & Shane)

09:30    Group Norms and introduction to STEP UP program (Shane)
             How do we work together in this workshop?
               What resources does QuarkNet offer to help you create a positive climate in your classroom?

09:45    Mean Lifetime Part 1: Dice - Level 1 Data Portfolio Activity (Shane)
              What is the most likely number of throws necessary to produce a "1" on the top of a 6-sided die?

10:45    BREAK

11:00    Mean Lifetime Part 3: MINERvA - Level 2 Data Portfolio Activity - BEGIN (Shane & Spencer)

12:00    Administrative Pause

~12:30    Break for the day

Partial Recording, Day One

Wednesday, July 29

09:00    Welcome back! (Spencer)

  • Zoom sign-in and reflect on yesterday
  • Note recording of yesterday and updated resources
  • "Parking Lot" - Padlet

09:15    Mean Lifetime Part 3: MINERvA - Level 2 Data Portfolio Activity - FINISH (Shane)

  • Discuss results - Break-out #1: (discuss in small group and capture responses in Padlet)
    1. Compare/contrast the Mean Lifetime of Die graph (from dice rolling simulation yesterday) to the Mean Lifetime of Muon graph (from MINERvA data). How are they similar?...different?
    2. Using the Mean Lifetime of Muon graph (from MINERvA data), estimate the muon half-life and the muon mean lifetime.
    3. How certain are you of the muon lifetime measurement? How could you increase your certainty of this value?
    4. *In this version of the Mean Lifetime of Muon graph (from the same MINERvA analysis), what is the muon mean lifetime? Keep in mind that the mean lifetime of the muon follows the mathematical model below, where N is the number of muons in the sample, N0 is the initial number of muons, t is time and tau is the mean lifetime. 

  • Full group debrief
  • Extension: Michel electron energy results - What can it tell us? (Spoiler alert!...It tells us that neutrinos result from the Michel electron decay!)

10:00    BREAK

10:15   Mean Lifetime Part 2: Cosmic Muons (Mark Adams)

  • Slides
  • Base activity
  • Optional e-Lab extension
  • Run analysis using Cosmic Ray e-Lab
  • Summarizing discussion:
    • What is particle decay?
    • Why are we studying muons?
    • What is half-life?
    • What is lifetime?
    • Connect with previous activities

11:15-11:30 BREAK

11:30-12:30 BAMC (Big Analysis of Muons at CMS) Measurement

  • Introduction to BAMC - slides
  • Links:
  • Start working on measurement
  • Homework: Complete BAMC measurement...Need help?? Check out these screencasts (toward the top of the page).

~12:30    End for the day (Optional office hour 1:00-2:00?)
               --> Check and/or add to the "Parking Lot" - Padlet 

Partial Recording Day Two

Thursday, July 30

09:00    Welcome back! (Spencer)

09:15    BAMC (Big Analysis of Muons at CMS) Measurement (cont.) (Shane)

  • BAMC follow-up - click for slides
  • Break-out room questions - Responses on Padlet:
    1. Look at our Mass Histogram tab in CIMA for our results. At what mass(es) do you see peaks? What could be the significance of these peaks?
    2. How confident are you that these are indeed peaks and not statitistical fluctuations?
    3. What could we do to increase the confidence in our results?
    4. Look at the Results tab in CIMA. How does the number of W+ events compare to W-? Is this what you'd expect?
  • Large group wrap-up

10:15    BREAK (and group picture)

10:30    Implementation Plan (Shane)

11:15    Next steps for 2020-2021: Discussing possibilities (George & Spencer)

  • Fall (workshop, coding?)
  • Winter (visit, FNAL?)
  • Spring (master class, BAMC?)

11:40    Surveys (Shane)

~12:00     End of Workshop

Partial Recording, Day Three, A

Partial Recording, Day Three, B

 

Resources:

 

Contacts

 

QN Workshop-Teaching with Data Eval 2020.pdf bytes