Studies in High Energy
Particle Physics
by Alex George
supervisors: Dr. Tim Bolton & Dr. Glenn
Horton-Smith
Welcome! This page will summarize
my experience doing an REU (what’s
that?) with Dr.
Tim Bolton and Dr. Glenn
Horton-Smith in the area of High Energy Particle
Physics. Dr. Bolton and Dr.
Horton-Smith are working on two main projects: KamLAND (in Japan) and Double Chooz (in France), studying neutrino and
anti-neutrino oscillations. I am working
to simulate, model, and ultimately understand the spill-in/spill-out effect as
it applies to the Double Chooz project.
I will also, as part of this project, go to the KamLAND site in Japan to
take data.
Week One: Choosing
Research Groups & Reading Background Materials.
Week
Two: More Background Reading, Learning C++, and my first Simulation
Week Three: Learning
the “real” software – DOGS, ROOT, and GEANT-4
Week Four: Learning
the “real” software, continued
Week Five: Spill-in/Spill-out
– extent of effect
Week Six:
Spill-in/Spill-out – extent of effect, continued
Week Seven:
Spill-in/Spill-out – extent of effect, continued
Week Eight: Visiting Fermilab!
Weeks 9 and 10 (as well as week 11!) will
be spent in Japan, taking data on the KamLAND detector at the Superkamiokande
Research Facility. I do not anticipate
having the means to update my website from Japan, nor do I plan to return to
Kansas after the trip. However, this
website may well be in its final form already!