PIERRE AUGER OBSERVATORY Education and Outreach Gregory Snow
PIERRE AUGER OBSERVATORY Education and Outreach Gregory Snow University of Nebraska DPF 2011, Providence, Rhode Island DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 9 -13 August 2011 1
Outline • Introduction to the Auger Observatory and Goals of the Education and Outreach Task • Efforts in Mendoza Province, Argentina • Public Lectures • Building Open House Celebrations • Visitor Center in Office Building • Rural Schools Program • Science Fairs • James Cronin School in Malargüe • Other Education/Outreach Efforts • Online Resources • New video documentary • Michigan Technical University Scholarship Highlights of 10+ years of outreach activities DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 2
The Pierre Auger Observatory We are here. Malargüe is a small town on the high plains, the foothills of the Andes. Mendoza Province is also the wine making region 3 Argentina. of
Observatory Layout Surface Detector (SD) Array 1600 detector stations 1. 5 km spacing 3000 km 2 Fluorescence Detectors (FD) 4 Telescope enclosures 6 Telescopes per enclosure 24 Telescopes total 4 DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow
The Hybrid Design – 2 detector techniques employed Surface detector array + Air fluorescence detectors • Nearly calorimetric energy calibration of the fluorescence detector transferred to the event gathering power of the surface array. • A complementary set of mass sensitive shower parameters. • Different measurement techniques force understanding of systematic uncertainties • Determination of the angular and core position resolutions Glow represents UV fluorescence light emitted by N 2 in atmosphere 5
• Education and Outreach paper and poster presented at each ICRC along with science papers DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow ICRC 2011, Beijing, August 2011 Proceedings contribution 6
Goals of the Education/Outreach Task • Use the Auger Observatory and international collaboration to enhance science literacy and technology skills in the regions of the Auger sites and internationally • Increase public awareness and support for basic research in physics, astrophysics, and all areas of science • Encourage and support a wide range of education/outreach projects which link schools, community groups, and the public with the science and scientists of the Auger Observatory • Provide technical and non-technical information on Auger to a wide range of audiences – students, public, government officials, scientific colleagues • Recruit and encourage the participation of groups underrepresented in science in Auger education/outreach activities DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 7
Auger collaborators participating in Malargüe Day parade – a tradition !! 2000 2003 DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 2004 2005 8
Auger collaboration participates in Malargüe Day parades 2010 9
Public Lectures in Malargüe • Nightly science talks given to student and adult groups during collaboration meetings DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 10
Auger Office Complex Inauguration October 2001 11
Visitor Center at Auger Office Building Data Acquisition Visitor Center 10 12 m 2 DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 12
Visitor Center at Auger Office Building Seats 60 people Spark Chamber from Portugal DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow PC and multimedia projection Quarter-size FD mirror set-up from Karlsruhe 13
Visitor Center Hosts Many School Groups 57 7 th graders from General Alvear 60 elementary students from Malargüe 50 7 th graders from Maipu DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 14
Visitors logged since 2001 by year Over 65, 000 total, about 6000 per year DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 15
• Collaboration instrumental in Malargüe’s new planetarium, the 2 nd in Argentina. On Scientific Council DPF 2009, Detroit, July 28, 2009 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 16
Rural Schools Program Science presentation Donation of electric heaters Observatory staff members volunteer their time to bring cosmic ray science and infrastructure improvements to remote schools which have difficulty visiting the Observatory Supported by donations from collaborating institutions and individuals to an Education Fund DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 17
The Collaboration has sponsored three Science Fairs in its Assembly Building 2005 Science Fair 25 student-teachers teams from all over Mendoza Province Poster for advertising DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 18
November 2007 Science Fair drew 42 participating teams Jim Cronin with first-place team in Technology DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 19
November 2010 Science Fair drew 22 participating teams Youngest team and farthest distance traveled Collaborators serve as judges DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow Prizes awarded 20
Close Contact with Malargüe Schools 21
Diplomas for students with names on SD tanks November 2003 “Ezra” • Tank names solicited from Malargüe students DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 22
Collaboration members present frequent courses for local science teachers Rebeca Lopez (Mexico) explains hands-on optics experiments to Malargüe teachers demonstrate their own experiments to other teachers Rebeca Lopez presenting hands-on course to teachers in General Alvear, 200 km from Malargüe Beatriz García (UTN Mendoza) presents an astronomy course to Malargüe teachers 23
James Cronin School Inauguration New school opened November 2007 Funding from Malargüe, Mendoza Province, U. S. Grainger Foundation DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 24
Google Earth Model of the Observatory 3 D images of Observatory buildings and detectors with fly-over capability DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 25
Release of event information to public • Since October 2007 • 5 languages • Wikipedia links • Google site statistics, 4000 hits per year DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 26
Using Auger data released to public Lamar, Colorado, high school students win regional science fair DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 27
New Auger Video Documentary Surface detector and signage along Route 40 Fermilab’s Carlos Hojvat with Geiger counters • “Voces del Universo”, 26 minutes • Features detectors and work at the site, plus activities at collaborating universities, interviews in native languages • English and Spanish subtitles • DVD and video stream at http: //www. auger. org DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 28
Michigan Technological University Scholarship • One student from Malargüe supported for 4 -year program every other year • Tuition, room and board, fees covered • Students selected by Malargüe’s school principals and mayor • 1 st student enrolled Autumn 2001 • 4 th student graduated May 2011 • Students have embarked on engineering or science careers in the U. S. or Argentina • 5 th student to started in the Autumn 2010 Dave Nitz and Angelo Chialva at MTU DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 29
Conclusions • Outreach in the local community and beyond has been instrumental to the success of the Auger Observatory • Close contact with the community and schools has fostered a sense of ownership and being part of the experiment’s scientific mission DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 30
Backup Slides DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 31
The Auger Collaboration 67 Institutions, 369 Collaborators Argentina Australia Bolivia* Brazil Czech Republic France Germany Italy Mexico Netherlands Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain U. K. USA Vietnam* U. S. Institutions (17) Argonne NYU Case Western Northeastern Colo. School of Mines Ohio State Colo. State Penn State Fermilab UCLA Louisiana State Chicago Michigan Tech Nebraska N. Mex. Penn Utah Wisconsin * associate DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow Alan Watson Jim Cronin 32
Aerial Photos of Fluorescence Buildings November 2006 LIDAR Enclosure 33
Some nights in Spanish Tere got inspired Hans spoke Spanish Many collaborators participate Hans: Welcome Beatriz: Physics intro Ingo: SD status Alberto: FD status Tere: Results 40 students and teachers in attendance DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 34
Some nights in English 68 people in attendance, mostly students of English Question to Alan: “What do cosmic rays have to do with the origin of the Universe? ” DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 35
Mendoza Province’s only Planetarium in Malargüe • Auger collaboration and city of Malargüe worked together on the idea of a planetarium DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 36
Press coverage, press releases DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 37
Forum with Teachers and Students • 120 participants • 8 Auger collaborators • Discussion of future programs requested by teachers and students • Many good ideas: future course topics, coordination with School Board, science fair, … DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 38
Eureka Science Park in Mendoza Parque de la Ciencia y la Tecnología • Two years of planning and logistics led to the public inauguration of an Auger Observatory exhibit on November 22, 2003 • Outside: 2 Mexican SD tanks outdoors with explanatory signs • Inside: Italian FD prototype from Los Leones, posters, brochures, PC with interactive activities, small displays 39
Eureka Science Museum • Mexican prototype SD tanks • Outfitted by UTN, Mendoza, group DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 40
Eureka Science Museum Former Los Leones prototype mirrors donated to Eureka by Torino group/INFN DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow Children are fascinated by 41 it!
Eureka Science Museum Electronics displays PCs, brochures, posters Beeping Geiger counter display DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 42
Eureka Science Museum DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow History of cosmic ray physics in Argentina and Auger details 43
Auger Exhibit Inauguration • Governor elect of Mendoza Province, Ing. Julio Cobos • Press coverage DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 44
The James Cronin School of Communication, Art and Design Naming ceremony New building needed Funding initiative in progress Visits with students 1 st graduation festival Nov. 2003 45
Collaborators help with local student science projects Three students place 11 th (out of 300) in Mendoza Science Fair with their Auger exhibit and accompanying posters DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 46
Press coverage, press releases Mendoza Eureka exhibit opening DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 47
Press coverage, press releases Rumbos Magazine (Los Andes) DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 48
Press coverage, press releases December 2003 Louisiana State, Jim Matthews January 2004 Professors, students part of effort to learn about cosmic rays The mention of Argentina conjures any number of exotic or dramatic images. . . Eva Peron. . . dancing the tango. . . gauchos riding the plains. . . falling high-energy cosmic rays …. . DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 49
Visitor Center Web Site Home page News postings DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow Monthly news and events E-mail bulletin 50
Inauguration, November 2008 Over 200 dignitaries attended from all over the world Mendoza Province Governor Celso Jacque (left) DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 51
Inauguration, November 2008 Argentina Vice President Julio Cobos (right) “Asado” with traditional dancers and music DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 52
Inauguration, November 2008 Over 200 dignitaries attended from all over the world Mendoza Province Governor Celso Jacque (left) Judy! DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow 53
Inauguration, November 2008 Robert Aymar then CERN director DPF 2011, August 9, 2011 Auger Education and Outreach – G. Snow Pier Oddone Fermilab director 54
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