• ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• Schedule of Final Presentations: (4/30/10)
  - "Digital Electronics: From Logic Units to Microprocessors"           Ben
  - "Interaction of Particles with Matter and Radiation Detectors"    Arash
  - "Introduction to Cosmic Rays and Angular Distribution Studies"   Inga
  - "Measurement of the Muon Lifetime"                                              Edgar
  - "Gamma/Alpha Spectroscopy"                                                          Deniz
  - "Electron-Positron Annihilations and g-g Angular Correlation of Co⁶⁰"   Michelle
  - "Introduction to Particle Physics - Search for the Higgs Boson"   David
  
• Visit to Fermiab, April 2
• Radiation Safety Lecture, Monday, Feb 22 at 1:00 pm (SEL 2284)
• No Lecture on Monday, Jan 18 - MLK Day.

• Instructor:  
      Professor Nikos Varelas
      Office:  SES 2134
      email:  varelas@uic.edu
      Office Hours:  MF before class

• Scope:
  The purpose of PHY482 is to introduce students to some of the physical principles, experimental techniques, and advanced data analysis encountered in modern physics research and to provide a sense of truly independent research at either undergraduate or graduate level.  All experiments are computer-based and include units in statistics, digital electronics design and simulation using PSpice, NIM electronics, measurement of muon lifetime, gamma-ray spectroscopy, angular distribution of e⁺e^- annihilations, cosmic-ray angular distribution, analysis of simulated data from the DØ experiment etc.  The students analyze their data using the kaleidagraph and MatLab software, prepare MS-Word-based reports for each experiment, and give PowerPoint presentations of each of the experiments and other selected topics at the final week. 

• Recommended Textbooks:

• "Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments", W.R. Leo, 2nd Edition (available at Amazon here)
• "Experiments in Modern Physics", A. Melissinos & J. Napolitano, 2nd Edition (available at Amazon here)
• "Digital Electronics", R. Tokheim, 6th Edition (available at Amazon here)

• Experiments:

• Week 1:  Measurement of Reaction Time
• Week 2:  Introduction to NIM Electronics
• Week 3:  Digital Electronics w/ PSpice - Part I (XOR Gate)
• Week 4:  Digital Electronics w/ PSpice - Part II (4-bit Counter)
• Week 5:  Digital Electronics w/ PSpice - Part III (4-bit Adder/Subtractor)
• Week 6:  Muon Lifetime Experiment - Part I
       Simulation of the Experiment and Data Interpretation
       Tutorial on DAQ Setup + MatLab Analysis
• Week 7:  Muon Lifetime Experiment - Part II
• Week 8 - 16:  Experiments:
       - Angular Distribution of Cosmic Rays
          (a model of cosmic ray angular distribution) 
       - Gamma Ray Spectroscopy (notes)
       - Alpha Particle Absorption
       - Electron-Positron Annihilations
       - Analysis of Simulated Data (Assignments): Search for the Higgs Boson via WH at DØ

• QuarkNet (resource for cosmic ray experiments):
• QuarkNet at Fermilab
  The Fermilab Detector for Muon Lifetime Experiment
  Search for the Higgs
  Classroom Activities
• QuarkNet Activities at Indiana
• QuarkNet Activities at SMU
• Cosmic Ray Experiments at Rochester
  Muon Telescope Detector
• The Cosmic Ray Telescope Project at LBL

• Resources:

• WIKIPEDIA Encyclopedia
• HyperPhysics  (wonderful physics resource)
• Tutorial on MatLab
• Basic Statistics  and here
• Online book on Statistics
• Probability, Statistics, Monte Carlo Techniques
• Applets on Data Analysis
• Passage of Particles through Matter
• Particle Detector Brief Book
• Radioactivity and Radiation Protection
• Commonly Used Radioactive Sources
• Particle Detectors (also here)
• About the Muon Particle
• Cosmic Radiation (also here)
• NIST Physics Laboratory Holdings by Element
• Nuclear Wallet Card
• Gamma Ray Lines Organized by Nuclide

• Resources on Electronics:

• "Electronics" , by Allan Hambley
• Basics on Analog Electronics
• Basics on Digital Electronics
• Electronics Concepts
• Electronics in Wikipedia
• IC Master
• Information about CANBERRA Products
• Data Sheets for LeCroy Modules
• NIM Standard and here
• Orcad/PSpice Schematic Capture Tutorial
      How to work with PSpice by Prof. Spiegel/UPenn
• Using an Oscilloscope
• Applets on Electronics:
      Operational Amplifiers
      Digital Electronics: gates, decoders, multiplexers
      Signal Smoothing Algorithms
      Fourier Synthesis of Periodic Waveforms
      Fourier Analysis and Signal Filtering

• Some very good Advanced Lab course pages from other universities:

• Modern Physics Experiments at Middlebury College
• Modern Physics Experiments at MIT
• Modern Physics Laboratory at Washington
• Advanced Physics Laboratories at University of Michigan
• Advanced Laboratory at Colorado
• Physics Laboratory at KSU
• Methods of Experimental Physics Laboratory at Minnesota
• Advanced Laboratory at Toronto
• Advanced Laboratory at UPenn

Back to UIC Physics Dept., UIC Home Page

Last modified: April 22, 2010