Approximately 30 high school students joined scientists from the Santa Cruz Institute from Particle Physics for the annual Particle Physics Masterclass at UCSC on March 15. The educational event introduced students to special relativity concepts, data analysis techniques, and experimental detector technology.

Jason Nielsen, SCIPP Director and Professor of Physics, highlighted the international nature of the masterclass. “The data analysis activities were developed by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group,” he said, “and they use actual data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland.”

Students in the Masterclass learned to identify the particles arising from Higgs boson decay and to calculate the invariant masses of particle pairs. This followed a lecture by SCIPP postdoc Sarah Geller on the mathematics of special relativity. One high school student said, “I think the material was simple enough so that anyone could learn to do it but also challenging enough for those who feel the need to see what physics is like.” The participants discussed their results in a videoconference with Fermilab scientists in Illinois and other Masterclass sites in southern California.

The day-long event was complemented by other activities. Hands-on experimental activities with a cloud chamber and a scintillator detector gave the Masterclass participants a chance to experience particle detector technology and experimental methods. The visitors also learned about STEM careers, specifically in physics and astrophysics. Another student said their favorite part of the day was “speaking with the graduate student mentors on their college experience.”

The annual Particle Physics Masterclass is one of the highlights of the SCIPP outreach and education program. Nielsen said, “We were very happy with our class of 30 students this year, and we hope to continue to broaden the participation in the program next year.”

More information about activities in the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics is at https://scipp.science.ucsc.edu/outreach/.