Friday, May 3, 2013
Blog 22: Final 3-Column Chart
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlCsYHBSZf56dHVlM0ZyNFVpeU1QTzBpbU5SZ3dCSmc#gid=0
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Blog 21: Independent Component 2
I, Hannah Seymour, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
I first learned about cloud chambers from Caltech physicist Sean Carroll. He also taught me how to extract the tiny radioactive americium-241 disk from an ionizing smoke detector. For the experiment procedure I used this website: http://www.bizarrelabs.com/cloud.htm.
A cloud chamber is a very basic particle detector. To build a simple cloud chamber, you need a see-through container (I used a glass jar for science labs involving poisonous materials, as I was sure it would be radiation-safe,) very pure alcohol (I used 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol,) a piece of blotter paper or sponge, a piece of black cloth, a block of dry ice, and a small radioactive piece. In this case, I used Fiestaware which contains uranium, and the americium from a smoke detector (if you want to try this, please use a broken smoke detector like I did.)
The cloth is glued to the bottom of the lid and the sponge is soaked in the alcohol. The radioactive source is placed in the lid and the jar is screwed upside-down onto it. Then the jar has to sit for 10-15 minutes or so. After that, the jar is placed lid-down onto the dry ice so the alcohol can saturate the jar and vaporize. After 15-20 minutes, when the jar becomes very cold, particle trails will begin to appear. A mist also forms and sinks to the bottom of the jar. Alpha particles leave heavy, dense trails and beta particles leave thin, wispy trails. This works because when a charged particle enters the chamber (from the radioactive source) it ionizes the vapor and produces a mist. There are so many ions produced around these relatively high-energy particles that when the vapor around them condenses a trail is left.
The cloud chamber was one of the very first particle detectors and was used to discover muons and kaons among others. However, interestingly enough, today's high-tech dark matter searches actually utilize many of the same principles that the old-school cloud chamber does. For example, a popular type of experiment uses extremely pure, extremely cold germanium atoms in a controlled environment sealed off from the outside world, sometimes buried deep within an old abandoned mine. Theoretically, a dark matter WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) should hit these supercool germanium atoms, which are very still, and leave a trail in the form of it's interaction with the germanium by causing it to "move," in a sense.
Supersymmetric particles are excellent candidates for WIMPs, and I believe the best way for them to be detected is through a dark-matter detection experiment like the germanium one. And if they are found in this way, we are well on the road to solving two of the most elusive problems in physics-dark matter and the existence and nature of supersymmetric particles. From this, I have the third answer to my essential question, "Why is finding supersymmetric particles an important task for physicists to undertake?" "Because supersymmetric neutralinos provide the most accurate candidate for Cold Dark Matter."
Cutting the sponge-diameter 6.5 cm
Sponge layer
Completed parts-notice new lid
Set-up at school
The Geiger counter goes nuts around these two
Fiestaware-don't handle with your bare hands!
Letting sit-right before I put it on the dry ice
Broken smoke detector
I had to take this apart wearing gloves
The americium is the tiny, tiny button resting on the center disk
Letting it sit before it goes on dry ice
Monday, March 25, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Blog 19: Senior Project and ESLRs
1. What ESLR have you excelled in most in your senior project?
Oy vey, I don't think any of these are really applicable. If I had to choose one I would choose Effective Communicator.
2. Please explain why you think you have excelled in this ESLR.
One of my goals is to help others understand physics. Sure, it's great that I understand it, it comes naturally to me, blah blah blah. Whatever. My knowledge of physics isn't something I want to just keep selfishly to myself. Everyone can understand physics and appreciate it! No one should be made to feel intimidated. I have been helping people out when they need it in Pittman's class (I hope this has been beneficial for people. If not please tell me how I can improve.) I'm really trying to make my presentations accessible and interesting for people, and many people I have asked say that they have learned something after my presentations. I have a degree of artistic talent, so I try to use visual representations that are cute/funny/memorable to teach people. Also I make a lot of jokes (which may or may not be funny...or may be funny and not funny simultaneously until they are observed...I'll show myself out.)
3. Provide evidence from your senior project to support your claim (evidence is a photo of something you are doing, photo of something you made, etc).
I'll post a picture in the morning, but today I drew the little cartoony versions I do of all the Manhattan Project scientists. I drew these for Ogden's first art project but I have no idea where that has gone to (Purther, where are they?) So here are these instead. I'm thinking about making a historical physics comic, since there are many important aspects in this era that are glossed over in school. Here they are thinking about something they like. Oppenheimer likes Hinduism, Teller likes hydrogen, Szilard likes baths, and Fermi likes aliens.
Oy vey, I don't think any of these are really applicable. If I had to choose one I would choose Effective Communicator.
2. Please explain why you think you have excelled in this ESLR.
One of my goals is to help others understand physics. Sure, it's great that I understand it, it comes naturally to me, blah blah blah. Whatever. My knowledge of physics isn't something I want to just keep selfishly to myself. Everyone can understand physics and appreciate it! No one should be made to feel intimidated. I have been helping people out when they need it in Pittman's class (I hope this has been beneficial for people. If not please tell me how I can improve.) I'm really trying to make my presentations accessible and interesting for people, and many people I have asked say that they have learned something after my presentations. I have a degree of artistic talent, so I try to use visual representations that are cute/funny/memorable to teach people. Also I make a lot of jokes (which may or may not be funny...or may be funny and not funny simultaneously until they are observed...I'll show myself out.)
3. Provide evidence from your senior project to support your claim (evidence is a photo of something you are doing, photo of something you made, etc).
I'll post a picture in the morning, but today I drew the little cartoony versions I do of all the Manhattan Project scientists. I drew these for Ogden's first art project but I have no idea where that has gone to (Purther, where are they?) So here are these instead. I'm thinking about making a historical physics comic, since there are many important aspects in this era that are glossed over in school. Here they are thinking about something they like. Oppenheimer likes Hinduism, Teller likes hydrogen, Szilard likes baths, and Fermi likes aliens.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Blog 18: 2-Hour Meeting Answer #3
Essential Question: Why is finding supersymmetric particles and important task for physicists to undertake?
Answer: The lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP,) if stable, is a very good candidate for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) or dark matter.
1. Supersymmetric neutralinos (gravitinos, axinos, singlinos, higgsinos, binos, winos, photinos, etc.) can be thermally produced in the early universe and leave exactly the right relic density to constitute the Cold Dark Matter of the universe.
2. Detecting supersymmetric dark matter may be the best way to find SUSY particles. SUSY particles are expected to be extremely heavy (reaching into the multi-TeV range) and thus are likely out of reach of collider physics. However, dark matter detection experiments (such as Ice Cube in Antarctica) can be specifically calibrated to find neutralinos.
3. There can be multiple possible models of SUSY dark matter, as different SUSY models yield different LSPs. For example, the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model yields an LSP called the singlino, which is a good candidate for dark matter should the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model become too constrained. In addition, it is possible for neutralino dark matter to be non thermally produced, as well as in a "mixed" state such as with axions.
I plan on taking my science project on neutralino dark matter to the science fair. I am interested in hearing feedback on it as well as what others think the most likely neutralino dark matter model is.
Jedamzik, Karsten and Maxim Pospelov. "Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Particle Dark Matter." Cornell University Library, 11 Jun. 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
Answer: The lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP,) if stable, is a very good candidate for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) or dark matter.
1. Supersymmetric neutralinos (gravitinos, axinos, singlinos, higgsinos, binos, winos, photinos, etc.) can be thermally produced in the early universe and leave exactly the right relic density to constitute the Cold Dark Matter of the universe.
2. Detecting supersymmetric dark matter may be the best way to find SUSY particles. SUSY particles are expected to be extremely heavy (reaching into the multi-TeV range) and thus are likely out of reach of collider physics. However, dark matter detection experiments (such as Ice Cube in Antarctica) can be specifically calibrated to find neutralinos.
3. There can be multiple possible models of SUSY dark matter, as different SUSY models yield different LSPs. For example, the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model yields an LSP called the singlino, which is a good candidate for dark matter should the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model become too constrained. In addition, it is possible for neutralino dark matter to be non thermally produced, as well as in a "mixed" state such as with axions.
I plan on taking my science project on neutralino dark matter to the science fair. I am interested in hearing feedback on it as well as what others think the most likely neutralino dark matter model is.
Jedamzik, Karsten and Maxim Pospelov. "Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Particle Dark Matter." Cornell University Library, 11 Jun. 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions
1. Why is finding supersymmetric particles an important task for physicists to undertake?
2. What do you believe is the most accurate model of supersymmetry proposed today?
3. What are the implications for the Cold Dark Matter search if supersymmetry is found not to exist?
4. How might scientists go about disproving supersymmetry if there is no empirical evidence found?
5. How might scientists go about narrowing down proposed supersymmetric models?
6. How might scientists go about narrowing down supersymmetric dark matter models?
7. What do you believe is the next step we must take in our efforts to locate supersymmetric particles?
8. If a spontaneously broken supersymmetry does not solve the problem of the vacuum energy all the way, what are the implications?
9. In what way, if any, can the problem of the vacuum energy be resolved without supersymmetry?
10. If supersymmetry is discovered, what are the implications for string theory?
11. Is it necessary for us to narrow down the number of superstring theories? If so, how can we do it?
12. How can theoretical physicists avoid being "not even wrong" about supersymmetry?
13. If supersymmetric particles are self interacting, how will this change our search for them as dark matter?
14. How to you believe an experiment solely dedicated to looking for supersymmetric particles would be received by scientists and donors?
15. If another, lighter Higgs Boson is found, what are the implications for supersymmetry?
16. What theories, if any, do you believe can explain the Hierarchy Problem in place of supersymmetry?
17. Can string theory be complete without supersymmetry? Why or why not?
18. Do you believe superstring theory is the "best" theory of quantum gravity? Why? If not, what other theories do you believe are better?
19. What, if anything, does the quantum vacuum say about dark energy?
20. What is wrong with very heavy sparticles?
No need to worry about the end of the universe, for those who saw the article. Supersymmetry will save us! Maybe...
2. What do you believe is the most accurate model of supersymmetry proposed today?
3. What are the implications for the Cold Dark Matter search if supersymmetry is found not to exist?
4. How might scientists go about disproving supersymmetry if there is no empirical evidence found?
5. How might scientists go about narrowing down proposed supersymmetric models?
6. How might scientists go about narrowing down supersymmetric dark matter models?
7. What do you believe is the next step we must take in our efforts to locate supersymmetric particles?
8. If a spontaneously broken supersymmetry does not solve the problem of the vacuum energy all the way, what are the implications?
9. In what way, if any, can the problem of the vacuum energy be resolved without supersymmetry?
10. If supersymmetry is discovered, what are the implications for string theory?
11. Is it necessary for us to narrow down the number of superstring theories? If so, how can we do it?
12. How can theoretical physicists avoid being "not even wrong" about supersymmetry?
13. If supersymmetric particles are self interacting, how will this change our search for them as dark matter?
14. How to you believe an experiment solely dedicated to looking for supersymmetric particles would be received by scientists and donors?
15. If another, lighter Higgs Boson is found, what are the implications for supersymmetry?
16. What theories, if any, do you believe can explain the Hierarchy Problem in place of supersymmetry?
17. Can string theory be complete without supersymmetry? Why or why not?
18. Do you believe superstring theory is the "best" theory of quantum gravity? Why? If not, what other theories do you believe are better?
19. What, if anything, does the quantum vacuum say about dark energy?
20. What is wrong with very heavy sparticles?
No need to worry about the end of the universe, for those who saw the article. Supersymmetry will save us! Maybe...
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Blog 16: 2-Hour Meeting Answer #2
Essential Question: Why is finding supersymmetric particles an important task for physicists to undertake?
Answer 2: Supersymmetry is the one of the only theories that can completely solve the hierarchy problem of the Standard Model.
1. The hierarchy problem is one of the biggest inconsistencies of the Standard Model. We have observed the mass of the Higgs Boson to be ~125 GeV. The trouble is that the mass should be much greater than that due to a phenomenon called "quantum corrections." Without some very tight fine-tuning between the quantum corrections and the regular mass, this seems impossible. However, physicists don't like unexplained fine-tunings.
2. The Higgs Boson will couple to the most massive particles in the Standard Model, thus most of the quantum corrections to its mass will come from those particles, such as the top quark, which is the heaviest Standard Model particle. Supersymmetry predicts the existence of a stop squark partner for the top quark. As it turns out, the corrections from the stop squark should cancel with those from the top quark, leaving just enough left over to give us the Higgs mass we see in nature.
![\Delta m_{H}^{2} = 2* \frac{\lambda_{S}}{16\pi^2} [\Lambda_{UV}^2+ ...].](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s_UiOzbFDuQC1JtpT0rUqvOui_YZ-ymknaFlGWhY-Q9WivvBm_V8aytAc2at8IJ0ECKLWHvlSm5lB9h6sngsi9lc93cMufwG9WWdCQ3OzmA56-SGnacMTFrlVQ-vRxkvx_dUibCcGDE8EJxllI=s0-d)
(Contributions from both-assume one negative and one positive contribution, where UV is the Planck scale.)
3. There isn't a theory that explains the hierarchy problem so cleanly and accurately. If supersymmetry doesn't exist, it is important that physicists begin work on another theory so we do not have any unexplained fine-tunings. Therefore it is important that we continue the search for supersymmetric particles, just in case we have to start work on another theory.
Source: Warped Passages by Lisa Randall. I could never really wrap my head around the hierarchy problem but she made it very clear and understandable, and she explains why supersymmetry is such a good solution for it.
I plan to bulk up on my knowledge of Quantum Field Theory, and on Richard Feynman's work. I never cared for Feynman as a person, but as Einstein would say, "There is no emotion in science!*" I want to be able to create my own Feynman diagrams so I can better understand them.
*Einstein didn't really say this.
Answer 2: Supersymmetry is the one of the only theories that can completely solve the hierarchy problem of the Standard Model.
1. The hierarchy problem is one of the biggest inconsistencies of the Standard Model. We have observed the mass of the Higgs Boson to be ~125 GeV. The trouble is that the mass should be much greater than that due to a phenomenon called "quantum corrections." Without some very tight fine-tuning between the quantum corrections and the regular mass, this seems impossible. However, physicists don't like unexplained fine-tunings.
2. The Higgs Boson will couple to the most massive particles in the Standard Model, thus most of the quantum corrections to its mass will come from those particles, such as the top quark, which is the heaviest Standard Model particle. Supersymmetry predicts the existence of a stop squark partner for the top quark. As it turns out, the corrections from the stop squark should cancel with those from the top quark, leaving just enough left over to give us the Higgs mass we see in nature.
![\Delta m_{H}^{2} = 2* \frac{\lambda_{S}}{16\pi^2} [\Lambda_{UV}^2+ ...].](http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/0/a/2/0a2ccd5c4998ac5ee33bb920fd4fc0fe.png)
(Contributions from both-assume one negative and one positive contribution, where UV is the Planck scale.)3. There isn't a theory that explains the hierarchy problem so cleanly and accurately. If supersymmetry doesn't exist, it is important that physicists begin work on another theory so we do not have any unexplained fine-tunings. Therefore it is important that we continue the search for supersymmetric particles, just in case we have to start work on another theory.
Source: Warped Passages by Lisa Randall. I could never really wrap my head around the hierarchy problem but she made it very clear and understandable, and she explains why supersymmetry is such a good solution for it.
I plan to bulk up on my knowledge of Quantum Field Theory, and on Richard Feynman's work. I never cared for Feynman as a person, but as Einstein would say, "There is no emotion in science!*" I want to be able to create my own Feynman diagrams so I can better understand them.
*Einstein didn't really say this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)