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BASIC STRUCTURE OF OUR BOOKLET "PARTICLE PHYSICS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS"

Foreword

Introduction:

    The billard example
    Pair production with electrons
    Anihilation
    Conservation of mass      - is it broken?
    Conservation of energy    - is it broken?

The principle of special relativity

    E=mc²
    matter - antimatter , Example: The example of kissing your anti-friend

A list of particles

    (including properties like mass, charge, spin, lifetime, collision results and "others")

Classification

    1. by obvious properties:
            by charge ?
            by mass: hadrons - leptons
    2. by a new way as a result of a mathematical theory:
   --- extra box ---> The principle of research: Hypothesis -> experiment -> theory <-> experiments

            The quark is introduced.
            color charges
            mesons, baryons, leptons

A new list of particles

    (examples, properties: charge, color, spin)

 Forces: What holds them together / What breaks them apart ?

    Introduction to forces
    Table of forces
    Comparison of the strength
    Particles as the carriers of force: Bosons.

These forces and their carriers, the bosons, are illustrated by thr following diagrams.

        Force 1. Gravity.

OR MAYBE NOT......

Force 2a. The electric force.

Force 2b. The magnetic force.

No diagram.

The electric and magnetic forces together give .....

Force 2. The electromagnetic force.

Force 3. The weak force.

Force 2+3. The electroweak force.

The weak and electromagnetic forces have been shown to be two aspects of the same thing.

Force 4. The strong force, the nuclear force.

Force 5. Yet another force?

    Virtual particles - borrowing energy from spacetime - Heisenberg
    The problem of understanding the concepts of fields and particles

The Standard Model (SM).

    3 families
    SM of the first family: The dice

Conclusion and aspects.

    The Higgs particle
    The graviton
    Supersymmetry
    String theory - new ether theory - a better model?
    Science fiction / future applications

Appendix or separate boxes or pages:

Detectors (principle, advantages/disadvantages, application)

    1. The electroscope
    2. Counter tubes
    3. Scintillation and photomultiplyers
    4. Cloud chamber
    5. Spark chamber
    6. Bubble chamber
    7. Semiconductor detectors
    8. The big detectors

Accelerators (principle, example, year of invention, advantages/disadvantages, applications in our daily lives).

    1. Roentgen, Van-der-Graaf
        electric field / x-ray tube, TV, monitor ...
    2. Linac
        changing electric fields in clystrons ...
    3. Cyclotron
        static electric field, uniform magnetic field ...
    4. Synchrotron / Collider
        changing electric fields in clystrons / bending magnets / proton beams for medical treatment

Cosmic rays.

    How were and are they detected?
    What can be observed?
    Which particle reactions are important?
 

 REMARKS ABOUT THIS BOOKLET.

1. Age of pupils.

We tried to find a way of presenting this complicated matter to pupils.
We decided that we need two different booklets, one for 10th grade (15 year old) and one for about 12th grade (17-19 years old).
This structure is designed for 15 year old pupils and can be used for the general public (adults) as well.

2. Preknowledge.

For this concept following topics have to have been studied:
- atomic models up to Rutherford
- atomic particles: electron, proton, neutron
- electric charge
- size of an atom and a nucleus
- law of conservation of mass (from Chemistry)
- law of conservation of energy (from Physics)
- law of conservation of charge (will have to be done before this)

3. Things we want to emphasize.

- colorful graphics
- clear and easy understandable graphics
- some nice sketches
- some impressing photos
- a language that is accepted by children of this age
- a feeling, that these topics are part of everyday's life
- many comparisons that relate particle physics to the child's life and experience
- hints how to get more detailed information
- URL links

4. Some examples (brainstorming).

I. How many of the following particles do pass me per second (cosmic radiation):
a) on the beach in the sun, b) on a mountain 2000m high, c) on a rainy day
- neutrinos
- myons
- gamma photons
- UV photons

- photons during an x-ray of my lung

II. The Kamiokande neutrino detector with picture, its sun "photo" and the supernova story

III. The neutrino production of a 1GW nuclear reactor

IV. The penetration of different particles through your house wall

V. The path of light and neutrinos from the sun's core to earth

5. The future of this booklet.

This should be the basis for booklets written in different languages.
We will try this in Germany for 15 year old pupils.
We will inform CERN about what we do. We hope that members of the teacher program 1999 will work together on this. There are no restrictions concerning a copyright. This will of course be different for a completed book one day.

D. Kaack July 22, 1999 CERN Switzerland 

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Contact: Hanley@southbridge.demon.co.uk

Last modified: 30.8.99

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