Welcome to the Daresbury Laboratory Accelerator and
Particle Physics Masterclass

12 March 2024

Who is it for?

This event is aimed primarily at A-Level Physics students as well as GCSE students considering studying science at A-Level.

We have run masterclass events for over 10 years and know how valuable they are for the students who participate. This year we will run our Accelerator and Particle Physics Masterclass on 12 March 2024. For those unable to attend, we also plan to run an online event later in the academic year (date to be confirmed).

Content

The event will be broken down into several sessions across the day and will include talks, tours and demonstrations. Every session will include the opportunity for questions and answers. Breaks will also be incorporated.

Outline Programme

12 March 2024 

09:45 – Welcome and Housekeeping

09:50 – TALK and Q&A: Introduction to accelerators and light sources 

What is a particle accelerator? What can we do with them? Why is Daresbury Laboratory built where it is? What work has been undertaken there over the past 60 years? What is the future of particle accelerators both here, elsewhere in the UK and around the world?

10:30 – TALK and Q&A: Electromagnetism for particle accelerators 

How do particle accelerators actually work? What is the science behind them? Learn about electromagnetic fields and how they shape our scientific discoveries.

11:00 – TOUR and Q&A: Boulby Underground Laboratory

Virtual tour of the deepest lab in the UK, in a working mine where we test space technology, and hunt for Dark Matter.

11:30 – Carousel of group activities

Activity 1: Tour of CLARA Accelerator/CLARA Control Room

Activity 2: Accelerator Technology demonstrations/Career discussions

Activity 3: Tour of VISTA/DUNE

12:50 – Lunch

13:30 – Carousel of group activities (continued)

Activity 1: Tour of CLARA Accelerator/CLARA Control Room

Activity 2: Accelerator Technology demonstrations/ Career discussions

Activity 3: Tour of VISTA/DUNE

14:10 – Quick fire talks

Talks on Lasers and Radiofrequency (RF) cavities

14:50 – Closing presentation plus – EVENT ROUND UP and evaluation

‘Quarks, Gluons and the Higgs Boson’ by Prof Fred Loebinger, Emeritus Professor, University of Manchester

Evaluation with quiz and spot prizes

15:50 to 16:00 – Event End

We are also on Twitter and Facebook so do join us using #APPMC during the event.