The Radioactive Spartans Work with MoNA Aditya Das, Brent Morden, Emma Sloan, Lidya Tesfaye

1. The Radioactive Spartans Work with MoNA Aditya Das, Brent Morden, Emma Sloan, LidyaTesfaye DAY 1 – Detecting Particles • We detected neutron emissions from a radioactive source using an oscilloscope connected to MoNA. • We predicted that the closer the source, the earlier the impulse. We determined positions of the sourceby analyzing the delay between impulses from both ends of MoNA. Oscilloscope fun • Our data supported our prediction and we made a corresponding graph. The Radioactive Spartans Left to Right: Emma, Lidya, Aditya, Brent Best-fit line analyzing distance versus time delay An oscilloscope Working in the lab DAY 3 – Cosmic Ray Measurements DAY 2 – Analyzing Data with SpecTcl • We measured the angle and velocity of incoming muons with SpecTcl. • We predicted that the distribution of muons would fit a cos2 curve. • The muon distribution didn’t follow a cos2 curve, instead following its own unique curve. • Our results would be more accurate if we got more data. • We ran the same experiment as yesterday (particle detection) using a program called SpecTcl. • Like Day 1, we determined the location of two mystery sources, but more accurately. • We had the same prediction as yesterday; the data supported it and we made a graph. After a week of PAN, we gained a newfound appreciation for science. We learned to detect neutrons and muons using MoNA-LISA and learned how to analyze them. Graduate students advised us as we experienced physics research firsthand and we learned more about science as a career. We’d like to acknowledge MSU, NSF, the NSCL staff, and JINA for making this enriching experience possible. A diagram of MoNA Working with SpecTcl Cosmic ray shower diagram A screenshot of the program SpecTcl Working on Day 3 Normal cos2 distribution versus the muon distribution Best-fit line for the SpecTcl graph Us with our data!