21 and 22 March 2011, 09:30am – 16:30pm

Oxford Particle Physics Masterclass 2011

The Oxford University Physics Department in conjunction with the High Energy Particle Physics Group of the Institute of Physics is hosting one-day events, highlighting some of the most important ideas in modern physics. We are inviting sixth formers studying physics and their teachers to experience the excitement of these ideas at first hand. The day will be a mix of talks, mostly by young researchers, practical sessions and competitions.

For 2011, the Masterclass will include topics such as: "Big Bangs and Dark Matter" and "Shining a Diamond light: Science at the Synchrotron". The students will also be treated to a special showing of "Accelerate!" - an interactive show, allowing them to get up close and personal with the exciting world of particle and accelerate physics.

In the practical sessions, students will be able to gain hands-on experience of the experiment that led to Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity. They will also see how accelerators are used for teaching purposes on a tour of the departments own Van De Graff Accelerator. Last but not least students can hunt for the Higgs Boson while studying relativistic particle collisions using graphical event displays on a computer.

Throughout the day students will work in competitive teams and there will be prizes for all members of the winning team. There will also be a competitive Web search to find facts about particle physics. Originally the Web was invented for communication between particle physicists, but has now become part of everyday life.