pheloniusfriar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pheloniusfriar) wrote2013-08-14 02:10 am
pheloniusfriar) wrote2013-08-14 02:10 am
Entry tags:
I'm truly honoured...
Earlier today, I finally dealt with the last glitch and, after two previous attempts that were blocked by technicalities (which could have been invoked this time as well, so I haven't posted until I was sure), I am officially enrolled in my 4th year Honours Project for my first degree program (B.Sc. Honours Theoretical Physics). The writeup for it posted by my supervisor (Thomas Koffas) is:
The experimental particle physics group has recently procured a copy of the EUDET telescope from DESY, Germany. It consists of six silicon pixel modules that can be used for precision tracking in test beam sites such as at CERN or at DESY. Instruments like this are standard equipment in those test beam sites where new particle detector designs are routinely tested and evaluated.
As part of this project the interested students will work on the characterization of the Carleton EUDET telescope. The position resolution of the reconstructed tracks will be measured. Its dependence on the alignment of the six modules will need to be established. New methods for precision tracking and alignment of the pixel modules will also be studied. High energy muons from cosmic rays will be used for testing and validating the new approaches and will be compared to test beam data that were acquired using Carleton's EUDET telescope at DESY. In addition the interested students are expected to work on the simulation of the EUDET telescope and in the development of event/track displays, tools that will be very useful in understanding the telescope performance. Through this work the students will develop valuable skills in handling silicon sensors, assembling and operating DAQ systems, studying a detector's performance and in performing precision measurements.
The Carleton EUDET telescope will eventually be used to provide the standard reference for the evaluation of the performance of other prototype detectors. Assuming that the tasks described above proceed smoothly, the students will have the opportunity to test a prototype small Thin Gap Chamber (sTGC) constructed at Carleton and characterize its performance. The construction of the sTGC detectors is part of an on-going campaign to upgrade the ATLAS detector at CERN and in which Carleton is playing a leading role. Tools, like the EUDET telescope, that will provide an initial evaluation of a prototype detector's performance prior to a more cumbersome test beam campaign, are extremely important. The work done as part of this aspect of the project will therefore be extremely valuable in establishing a procedure to evaluate such prototype detectors and it will provide to the students involved a first hand opportunity to acquire experience with operating cutting-edge particle physics detectors.
If all goes well, there may be a trip to Fermilab for an actual test beam campaign in May of next year (I have so wanted to go, for so many decades!). There's a long-term possibility, if I'm involved with the project still, of going to CERN (on the France/Switzerland border) late in 2014 (as a note, I have dreamed of visiting CERN long before the Large Hadron Collider was even proposed). Both trips are long shots, but I'm closer than I have ever been before (even far is closer, heh).
The trick for me is going to be to manage my time and energy this coming year. To that end, and because my supervisor gets me for free (actually, I get to pay for the privilege) while I do my honours project, I will not have a job at all this coming year. I also decided last year after TAing for a 1st year Physics for Engineers course lab section, that I won't be doing it again until I'm forced to as part of my Master's degree requirements (presuming, of course, that I get any sort of funding). I'm also taking a much lighter course load this coming year to try and keep it all manageable. The downside is, of course, that I'm not going to make a penny all school year and will have to live purely off the students loans I will get... it's going to be tight... very tight. I plan to pay all my known bills up front when the money comes in (rent, etc.), and then will just have to figure out how to survive on what's left (mostly just human food, cat food, gasoline, and a little bit of an entertainment budget like going to the Mayfair Theatre or grabbing a drink with friends every once in a while). This coming year, my employment income is probably going to be 1/20th of what I was making the year before I went back to school, heh... but the amazing thing is that despite all I've been through, I am still happy that I made the decision. When I am done with my academic studies (if? lol), and with my decades of work in electronics, software, and international project management, I have little concern about my employability and eventual earning power.
So, until then, I finished my last summer lecture on Monday, have my 1st year exam next Monday (15% of my mark), and have to turn in my 3rd year take-home exam two Fridays from now (50% of my mark... that scares the crap out of me!). I have tons of work to do on the EUDET project before the summer is over (finishing its commissioning, setup, and test) so I can do actual research starting in the fall, and I'm trying to get a head-start on my fall courses as well (computational physics in particular). I will definitely have another movie day/pot luck before the end of August (1PM to 1AM or so as per last time) where I will show such classics as Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, Death Proof/Planet Terror, Excalibur, Starship Troopers, The Magnificent Seven, Tekkonkinkreet, and (I can't wait) Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (starring Shannon Tweed and Adrienne Barbeau of all people...). And I am going to finish setting up my little music studio in the basement before school starts (it's in clumps throughout the house at the moment and isn't working out in that form).
I will leave you with what I consider to be one of the best music videos I've seen in years... fair warning, it portrays simulated violence against nice people and cute animals at the start, but then gets hilariously awesome (and violent)... the music is awesome too... sheer brilliance!
The experimental particle physics group has recently procured a copy of the EUDET telescope from DESY, Germany. It consists of six silicon pixel modules that can be used for precision tracking in test beam sites such as at CERN or at DESY. Instruments like this are standard equipment in those test beam sites where new particle detector designs are routinely tested and evaluated.
As part of this project the interested students will work on the characterization of the Carleton EUDET telescope. The position resolution of the reconstructed tracks will be measured. Its dependence on the alignment of the six modules will need to be established. New methods for precision tracking and alignment of the pixel modules will also be studied. High energy muons from cosmic rays will be used for testing and validating the new approaches and will be compared to test beam data that were acquired using Carleton's EUDET telescope at DESY. In addition the interested students are expected to work on the simulation of the EUDET telescope and in the development of event/track displays, tools that will be very useful in understanding the telescope performance. Through this work the students will develop valuable skills in handling silicon sensors, assembling and operating DAQ systems, studying a detector's performance and in performing precision measurements.
The Carleton EUDET telescope will eventually be used to provide the standard reference for the evaluation of the performance of other prototype detectors. Assuming that the tasks described above proceed smoothly, the students will have the opportunity to test a prototype small Thin Gap Chamber (sTGC) constructed at Carleton and characterize its performance. The construction of the sTGC detectors is part of an on-going campaign to upgrade the ATLAS detector at CERN and in which Carleton is playing a leading role. Tools, like the EUDET telescope, that will provide an initial evaluation of a prototype detector's performance prior to a more cumbersome test beam campaign, are extremely important. The work done as part of this aspect of the project will therefore be extremely valuable in establishing a procedure to evaluate such prototype detectors and it will provide to the students involved a first hand opportunity to acquire experience with operating cutting-edge particle physics detectors.
If all goes well, there may be a trip to Fermilab for an actual test beam campaign in May of next year (I have so wanted to go, for so many decades!). There's a long-term possibility, if I'm involved with the project still, of going to CERN (on the France/Switzerland border) late in 2014 (as a note, I have dreamed of visiting CERN long before the Large Hadron Collider was even proposed). Both trips are long shots, but I'm closer than I have ever been before (even far is closer, heh).
The trick for me is going to be to manage my time and energy this coming year. To that end, and because my supervisor gets me for free (actually, I get to pay for the privilege) while I do my honours project, I will not have a job at all this coming year. I also decided last year after TAing for a 1st year Physics for Engineers course lab section, that I won't be doing it again until I'm forced to as part of my Master's degree requirements (presuming, of course, that I get any sort of funding). I'm also taking a much lighter course load this coming year to try and keep it all manageable. The downside is, of course, that I'm not going to make a penny all school year and will have to live purely off the students loans I will get... it's going to be tight... very tight. I plan to pay all my known bills up front when the money comes in (rent, etc.), and then will just have to figure out how to survive on what's left (mostly just human food, cat food, gasoline, and a little bit of an entertainment budget like going to the Mayfair Theatre or grabbing a drink with friends every once in a while). This coming year, my employment income is probably going to be 1/20th of what I was making the year before I went back to school, heh... but the amazing thing is that despite all I've been through, I am still happy that I made the decision. When I am done with my academic studies (if? lol), and with my decades of work in electronics, software, and international project management, I have little concern about my employability and eventual earning power.
So, until then, I finished my last summer lecture on Monday, have my 1st year exam next Monday (15% of my mark), and have to turn in my 3rd year take-home exam two Fridays from now (50% of my mark... that scares the crap out of me!). I have tons of work to do on the EUDET project before the summer is over (finishing its commissioning, setup, and test) so I can do actual research starting in the fall, and I'm trying to get a head-start on my fall courses as well (computational physics in particular). I will definitely have another movie day/pot luck before the end of August (1PM to 1AM or so as per last time) where I will show such classics as Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, Death Proof/Planet Terror, Excalibur, Starship Troopers, The Magnificent Seven, Tekkonkinkreet, and (I can't wait) Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (starring Shannon Tweed and Adrienne Barbeau of all people...). And I am going to finish setting up my little music studio in the basement before school starts (it's in clumps throughout the house at the moment and isn't working out in that form).
I will leave you with what I consider to be one of the best music videos I've seen in years... fair warning, it portrays simulated violence against nice people and cute animals at the start, but then gets hilariously awesome (and violent)... the music is awesome too... sheer brilliance!
never cross a duck
Can't wait to see what is next!!