MARIACHI Summer 2008 Workshop

MARIACHI is an experiment that makes use of cutting edge computer technology to gather and analyze experimental cosmic ray data collected over a wide geographic area. Located at high schools, colleges and national laboratories, MARIACHI data acquisition computers gather data locally, and securely upload data to the main server located at Stony Brook University, while preserving information integrity. This experimental topology was chosen for the search of temporal coincidences between radar return signals and particle detection from a cosmic ray shower. A positive answer would validate radar technology as viable for the detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays over very large areas. MARIACHI data acquisition sites will also simultaneously collect digital data from unconventional sensors that measure terrestrial electric and magnetic field, ultrasound, infrasound, and lightning. Correlation between these parameters can be used to study a number of basic scientific problems that probe the influence of cosmic rays on terrestrial weather and their correlation with solar weather. MARIACHI takes full advantage of forefront software development to implement a data analysis strategy for all participants. Innovative tools facilitating the submission of science projects to computer farms for analysis will be available to a large number of participants.

MARIACHI is a collaborative effort that involves a diverse group of people located over a wide area. For this reason MARIACHI implements the use of asynchronous and synchronous collaborative tools to exchange information. Tools such as secure email, secure wiki and blog are being used to create a common MARIACHI knowledge database. The same technology is being exported to a larger teacher community for the creation of a knowledge database for teaching. MARIACHI is establishing a videoconferencing server to allow efficient communication amongst its members. MARIACHI's strategy for science investigation involves teams of scientists, teachers and students working on a research subject. It is envisioned that teams formed around certain subjects will carry out each research. Starting from jus a few topics it is expected to grow with nucleation of new ideas and teams.

The MARIACHI summer workshop is designed for physics and research teachers, as well as high school students interested in pursuing research projects. The workshop will be a combination of training, brainstorming, and hands-on sessions. We will review the science reach of the experiment, review the equipment that is available to schools, the experiment's cyberinfrastructure, and the data collected. The use of a secure wiki and email, and other cyber-communication tools will be reviewed. Through brainstorming sessions the goal of the workshop is to catalyze groups around common research interests and establish tracking mechanisms to monitor progress. Students should come away from the workshop with a research plan and the beginnings of a project.

Specifics

• Audience: MARIACHI teachers and students. Each school may send teams of a physics teacher, research teacher and up to 2 students.

• Instructors: H. Takai, D. Vavilov, G. Winters, K. Mernick, R. Gearns, R. Lefferts

• Hours: 8:30 - 4:30 daily. Total: 40 hours.

• Location: Nuclear Structure Laboratory, Physics Department, Stony Brook University.

• Cost: No cost to participants - supported by a grant from NSF.

Topics

• Science - Cosmic Rays, Meteors, Lightning and others.
• Techniques - Scintillators, advanced Excel analyses.
• CyberInfrastructure - Wiki, Grid Computing in practice.
• Data Analysis - Accessing and reading MARIACHI data, correlations, statistics.
• Research Ideas - 2007 Brainstorming Session

Resources

• How To Wiki
• Related Science
• Data Analysis

Contact Information

• Registration:
  • Dowload Registration Form, fill the form, and email it or fax to Judy Nimmo.
  • Last Day for Registration is June 27, Friday.
  • Contact Mrs. Judy Nimmo at LIGASE (jnimmo-at-notes.cc.sunysb.edu).

• For information: contact Dr. Helio Takai via email (takai-at-bnl.gov)

Workshop Schedule

Monday

• 08:30 - 09:00 - Welcome and get some paperwork out of the way
• 09:10 - 10:00 - MARIACHI: what it is, where we are going, what do we expect out of the workshop - Helio
• 10:00 - 11:00 - Introduction to mobile technology - Graham Glynn
• 11:15 -12:00 - How to use the Wiki - The MARIACHI Cosmic Ray Book Project (Rich Gearns)
• 12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch at SAC
• 13:00 - 14:00 - Introduction to Cosmic Rays and Particles - Helio
• 14:00 - 16:30 - Experiments using scintillation detectors and radar (all)
  • Muon speed (Dima)
  • Angle (using octagon) (Gillian)
  • Muon flux: changing measurement area (Harry Stuckey)
  • Cosmic Chris goes for a walk (Rich Gearns)
  • Horizontal separation (Tom Tomaszewski)
  • Characterizing MARIACHI antennas (Bob Warasila, Cristina)
  • Radar location (Kevin)
  • Clock synchronization (Subodh)
• The best wiki, and the best T-shirt design

Tuesday

• 08:30 - 09:30 - Excel: everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask (Rich Gearns)
• 09:30 - 12:00 - Continuation of previous day events
• 12:00- 13:00 - Lunch
• 13:00 - 13:30 - Demos (Liquid Nitrogen - Rich Lefferts)
• 13:30 - 15:30 - Continuation of previous day events
• 15:30 - 16:30 - 5-minute (1-2 slide) presentations on experiments ( propose topics )
• T Shirt Contest

Wednesday

• 08:30 - 12:00 - Break into two groups: cosmic ray analysis and radar analysis
  • 09:00 - 12:00 - Cosmic ray group analyzes existing cosmic ray data (Gillian)
  • 09:00 - 10:00 - Radar group: introduction to Matlab (Kevin, Subodh or Monica)
  • 10:00 - 10:30 - Radar group: explain data acquisition system and text files
  • 10:30 - 12:00 - Radar group: measure received signals at Stony Brook using spectrum analyzer
• 12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch
• 13:00 - 13:30 - Demos ( Triple Point - Rich Lefferts)
• 13:30 - 15:30 - Analyses
  • Radar group: Begin analysis of data (count meteors as function of time of day)
• 15:30 - 16:30 - Group presentations
  • rotating groups tour the Van de Graaff (Rich Lefferts)

Thursday

• 08:30 - 09:15 - Good Morning with questions and answers
• 09:15 - 10:15 - More analyses
• 10:15 - 10:45 - Discussion of results
• 11:00 - 12:00 - Meteors, Meteors (Dr. David Meisel, Geneseo - via Video)
• 12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch
• 13:00 - 13:30 - Demos (Helio)
• 13:30 - 15:15
  • Cosmic Ray group: Come up with a problem to explore
  • Radar group: Build antennas
  • Radar group: Continue data analysis, concentrating on either coincidences, signal duration, or data acquired the previous day
• 15:30 - 16:30 - Interim presentations

Friday

• 08:30 - 09:00 - Good Morning with questions and answers
• 09:00 - 12:00 - Analyses
  • Radar group: Continue analysis from yesterday, and analyze data taken with the antennas that groups built
• 12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch
• 13:00 - 13:30 - Demos (Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream)
• 13:30 - 15:00 - Analyses
• 15:00 - 16:00 - Final presentations
• 16:00 - 16:30 - Closing and Award Ceremony