The 1997 National Particle Physics Masterclass*
at Oxford University

Young people from Oxfordshire schools came to explore some frontier physics at Oxford on 15 July. The day was part of a national event - the First National Particle Physics Masterclass - which involved hundreds of students from schools around the country. Most of the events were held in April, but the masterclass at Oxford proved so popular that a second day had to be arranged. This was attended by nearly 40 pupils from Matthew Arnold School in Oxford, John Mason School in Abingdon and Burford School.

The students spent a day experiencing at first hand the excitement of particle physics. In PC-based practical sessions held in the Computing Services Department, they gained hands-on experience of the type of interactive graphical display programs that particle physicists from Oxford use at CERN. They also made measurements of particle tracks, using software specially designed for schools. The final session showed them how to make the most of the World Wide Web in studies of particle physics. The Web was invented at CERN, by Oxford physics graduate Tim Berners-Lee, to aid communication between particle physicists.

More about Particle Physics at Oxford

* One of a set of Masterclasses organised by the High Energy Particle Physics Group of the Institute of Physics throughout the UK