York University: Helix Summer Science Institute - July 2015
The Helix Summer Science Institute is an enrichment program designed for Grade 9 to 12 students who are genuinely excited about science and mathematics. Accepting applications from across Canada and the world, it provides a series of of week-long, non-credit intensive courses in advanced and interdisciplinary science topics.
STREAM: PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY (Grade 11-12)
Week 1 – July 6-10: Magnetism
Description: What causes the aurora borealis? How does earth’s magnetic field respond to incoming ionized particles? Magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to see details of soft tissue that aren’t visible by x-rays, yet soft tissue isn’t a magnetic material. Magnetic forces are used everywhere. They are at the heart of electric motors, TV picture tubes, microwave ovens, loudspeakers, computer printers and disk drives. In this course, students will learn about the underlying principles and mathematical concepts of these phenomena and the process of magnetism and its interaction within our environment.
Week 2 – July 13-17: Weird Universe
Description: Our universe is full of weird phenomena. Time passes slower in parts of the universe that are moving relative to you. People moving relative to each other at near the speed of light will often disagree on whether two events happened at the same time or not. Stars that cannot support their own weight collapse into black holes from which no light can escape. On larger scales, gravity can pull two galaxies together and merge them into a new, larger, and very different galaxy. Nonetheless, a few rules are sufficient to explain everything we see in our universe: the Pythagorean theorem, the same speed of light for everyone, conservation of energy, conservation of angular momentum, and the law of gravity. We will introduce you to how these laws work together to explain the orbits of planets, the lifetimes of stars, the effects of dark matter on galaxies, and the existence of black holes, and how we hope to use them to someday explain current mysteries like dark energy.
Week 3 – July 20-24: Photons & Force Fields
Description: In this course, students will learn about the fundamental particles that make up our universe and the forces that exist between them. It will teach students how to think outside the box and be able to show the processes that cause interactions that occur in our everyday lives. We will discuss quantum mechanics, as well as touch on quantum field theory in order to understand how particles act and react with each other. In this course, we will start with simple, well known and understood particles, such as the electron, and build up to new frontiers in science such as the Higgs boson. In this course we will be exploring the worlds of force carriers through methods used daily by experimental and theoretical physicists to do their research.
Week 4 – July 27-31: Big Data: Understanding Physics Research
Description: Physics is an experimental science. Those investigating theoretical physics rely experimental data to verify their theories. The majority of physics experiments yield very large sets of data which is further interpreted to extrapolate meaning. Computers have become an invaluable resource when processing experimental data. This course will focus on using and creating computer programming software (MATLAB) to process very large sets of experimental data, interpret and extrapolate meaning from inconspicuous data, and relate it to physical theory. Students will learn the basics of MATLAB, tour experimental facilities within York University, and have a the opportunity to work with university level research projects. This course will also foster skills that will allow students to seek out and process experimental data from the convenience of their own computer, even beyond the course.
For more information: http://helix.science.yorku.ca/