20401811 - NUCLEAR AND SUBNUCLEAR PHYSICS LABORATORY

The course is mainly based on laboratory activities, and is preceded by a series of dedicated classroom lessons to the basic concepts about detectors, trigger systems, signal acquisition in the field of High Energy Physics.
The laboratory consists of carrying out a small-scale experiment for measuring the decay of the mu meson.
teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Topics of the lectures of the first part of the course.
a) Subatomic particles and their interactions with matter:
- Radioactive sources, cosmic rays and elementary particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for heavy charged particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for electrons and positrons;
- Cherenkov radiation;
- Transition radiation;
- Multiple coulomb scattering;
- Photons interactions;
- Pair production and shower development.

b) Particle detectors:
- General characteristics of particle detectors;
- Ionisation detectors;
- Scintillation detectors;
- Photomultiplier tubes.

c) Applications:
- Measurements of charged particle momenta;
- Introduction to particle identification;
- Trigger;
- Examples of fundamental experiments in particle physics.

All the relevant topics and practical informations needed to operate the particle detectors exploited in the lab will be given during the laboratory practice.

Core Documentation

During the lectures slides and additional notes will be circulated.

The recommended textbook is::
(Leo W.R.) Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments [Springer-Verlag]

For an introduction to particle physics and to particle interactions in matter:
(Braibant S., Giacomelli G., Spurio M.) Particelle e interazioni fondamentali
[Springer] (in Italian)

Type of delivery of the course

The course is divided in two parts. In the first part lectures are foreseen to present the topics outlined in the "Obiettivi formativi" section. The second and more extended part of the course is based on laboratory practice. Students will work in groups (2-3 people) and will learn to operate and characterise particle detectors and will perform some basic measurements. Each group of students will focus on a single detector system working on several aspects. At the end of the laboratory practice, each group of students will produce a report of the activity containing a description of the measurements and of the results. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the standard organisation of the course will be applied. Lectures will be given, if necessary, remotely online to guarantee a fruitful interaction between the teacher and the students. The lab practice, in case online and fro remote, would be in focused on data analysis using data from detectors already collected in the past years. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used; they are already well in place and tested during the first lockdown period in 2022.

Type of evaluation

The final test consists in an oral exam. The report each group of students prepared will also be accounted for. Using the report as a basis for the discussion, during the oral exam questions will be asked to test the knowledge on both the laboratory practice and the topics discussed in the lectures. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the activities will be followed. Oral exams will be taken, if necessary, remotely online. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used.

teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Topics of the lectures of the first part of the course.
a) Subatomic particles and their interactions with matter:
- Radioactive sources, cosmic rays and elementary particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for heavy charged particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for electrons and positrons;
- Cherenkov radiation;
- Transition radiation;
- Multiple coulomb scattering;
- Photons interactions;
- Pair production and shower development.

b) Particle detectors:
- General characteristics of particle detectors;
- Ionisation detectors;
- Scintillation detectors;
- Photomultiplier tubes.

c) Applications:
- Measurements of charged particle momenta;
- Introduction to particle identification;
- Trigger;
- Examples of fundamental experiments in particle physics.

All the relevant topics and practical informations needed to operate the particle detectors exploited in the lab will be given during the laboratory practice.

Core Documentation

During the lectures slides and additional notes will be circulated.

The recommended textbook is::
(Leo W.R.) Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments [Springer-Verlag]

For an introduction to particle physics and to particle interactions in matter:
(Braibant S., Giacomelli G., Spurio M.) Particelle e interazioni fondamentali
[Springer] (in Italian)

Type of delivery of the course

The course is divided in two parts. In the first part lectures are foreseen to present the topics outlined in the "Obiettivi formativi" section. The second and more extended part of the course is based on laboratory practice. Students will work in groups (2-3 people) and will learn to operate and characterise particle detectors and will perform some basic measurements. Each group of students will focus on a single detector system working on several aspects. At the end of the laboratory practice, each group of students will produce a report of the activity containing a description of the measurements and of the results. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the standard organisation of the course will be applied. Lectures will be given, if necessary, remotely online to guarantee a fruitful interaction between the teacher and the students. The lab practice, in case online and fro remote, would be in focused on data analysis using data from detectors already collected in the past years. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used; they are already well in place and tested during the first lockdown period in 2022.

Type of evaluation

The final test consists in an oral exam. The report each group of students prepared will also be accounted for. Using the report as a basis for the discussion, during the oral exam questions will be asked to test the knowledge on both the laboratory practice and the topics discussed in the lectures. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the activities will be followed. Oral exams will be taken, if necessary, remotely online. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used.

teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Topics of the lectures of the first part of the course.
a) Subatomic particles and their interactions with matter:
- Radioactive sources, cosmic rays and elementary particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for heavy charged particles;
- Ionisation energy loss for electrons and positrons;
- Cherenkov radiation;
- Transition radiation;
- Multiple coulomb scattering;
- Photons interactions;
- Pair production and shower development.

b) Particle detectors:
- General characteristics of particle detectors;
- Ionisation detectors;
- Scintillation detectors;
- Photomultiplier tubes.

c) Applications:
- Measurements of charged particle momenta;
- Introduction to particle identification;
- Trigger;
- Examples of fundamental experiments in particle physics.

All the relevant topics and practical informations needed to operate the particle detectors exploited in the lab will be given during the laboratory practice.

Core Documentation

During the lectures slides and additional notes will be circulated.

The recommended textbook is::
(Leo W.R.) Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments [Springer-Verlag]

For an introduction to particle physics and to particle interactions in matter:
(Braibant S., Giacomelli G., Spurio M.) Particelle e interazioni fondamentali
[Springer] (in Italian)

Type of delivery of the course

The course is divided in two parts. In the first part lectures are foreseen to present the topics outlined in the "Obiettivi formativi" section. The second and more extended part of the course is based on laboratory practice. Students will work in groups (2-3 people) and will learn to operate and characterise particle detectors and will perform some basic measurements. Each group of students will focus on a single detector system working on several aspects. At the end of the laboratory practice, each group of students will produce a report of the activity containing a description of the measurements and of the results. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the standard organisation of the course will be applied. Lectures will be given, if necessary, remotely online to guarantee a fruitful interaction between the teacher and the students. The lab practice, in case online and fro remote, would be in focused on data analysis using data from detectors already collected in the past years. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used; they are already well in place and tested during the first lockdown period in 2022.

Type of evaluation

The final test consists in an oral exam. The report each group of students prepared will also be accounted for. Using the report as a basis for the discussion, during the oral exam questions will be asked to test the knowledge on both the laboratory practice and the topics discussed in the lectures. In case the COVID-19 outbreak will continue, all the restrictions to the activities will be followed. Oral exams will be taken, if necessary, remotely online. The tools provided by the University in these respect will be used.