Thirst for knowledge on Saturday morning — GSI/FAIR at virtual event "Saturday Morning Physics" for high-school students
27.11.2021 |
Approximately 170 high-school students learned about GSI and FAIR this year in the lecture series “Saturday Morning Physics”. The series, organized by the Technical University of Darmstadt, takes place as an online-only event due to the Corona pandemic, as it already did last year. On four Saturdays, the participants quench their thirst for knowledge about current research in physics —last Saturday, a virtual visit to the accelerators and experiments of GSI and FAIR was part of the program.
Through an introductory lecture and short video clips, the students had the opportunity to learn about GSI's facilities and research and the construction of components and buildings for the future international research center FAIR. The guided video tour took them to the linear accelerator UNILAC, the main control room and the heavy ion synchrotron SIS18. They learned how to produce new elements at the SHIP experiment, how to treat tumors with carbon ions, and how the large experiment HADES can be used to unravel the mystery of mass. The program also included a virtual visit to the test facility for superconducting FAIR magnets and to the viewpoint of the FAIR construction site. A drone flight over the construction field rounded off the event. Afterwards they had the opportunity to ask questions via a live chat, which was actively used by the participants.
The "Saturday Morning Physics" event series is organized by the Physics Faculty of the TU Darmstadt. It takes place annually and aims to encourage young people's interest in physics. In the events, students learn more about physics research at the university. Those who participate in all events receive the “Saturday-Morning-Physics” diploma. GSI and later FAIR have been among the sponsors and supporters of the series since its beginning. (CP)
