• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Multimedia
  • Sports

The Crimson

The only student-run newspaper at Florida Tech.

You are here: Home / Archives for News

News

Students researching high energy particle physics

February 19, 2019 by Seamus Burns Leave a Comment

Sarah Arends, GEM Hardware, working on a component in the Experimental Physics Hall. Photo by Hohlmann Research Group

Florida Tech physics department keeps up with the latest technology as the Muon Tomography Station is utilized for detecting particles no bigger than an electron.

The group research is conducted by Marcus Holmann, a physics professor who also works with CERN over online meetings.

CERN is the European Council for Nuclear Research – in French it translates to “Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire” – in which the acronym was devised.

CERN is the one the world’s most renown centers of scientific research and specialize with nuclear reactions, studying the behavior of individual particles and atoms.

The organization began in 2008, the same time the studies for Holmann and Florida Tech had been approved.

The similar studies here at Florida Tech examine the nuclear behavior of muons coming from high energy activity from elements such as uranium.

A muon is an unstable subatomic particle of the same class as an electron, but with a mass around 200 times greater.

Muons make up much of the cosmic radiation reaching the earth’s surface.

The building blocks of life and quantum theory are intertwined by understanding the fundamental behavior of the elements of life at their smallest component, we can better understand and predict the world around us and help us figure out relationships between particles and essentially interpret the universe.

The building blocks are defined in what’s called: The Standard Model of Particle Physics.

The Muon tomography station can detect particles of the same size as the Standard Model defines, and can read the spin and energy of the particle to decipher where it came from.

A scatter plot with many colors is depicted and read to determine whether the muon came from the sun, or from a different source of super high energy such as a particle accelerator, or nuclear compounds.

“I’ve been a fan of CERN and their YouTube videos since I began liking physics, and I’m really excited to be working on projects that closely relate to their work.” said Tommy Walker, junior physics major.

Muons happen naturally when a cosmic ray hits the atmosphere at a high energy and muons then get showered and dispersed.

The left plate inside the MTS picks up muons at a higher rate and varies while the right stays constant.

This means that muons decay in the middle of the MTS and did not originate from a large source like the sun.

“There are different types of energy from different reactions, and the direction of the energy can be used to find the mass.” Holmann said. “These machines are used and can catch people smuggling nuclear material.”

Detecting a muon also implies figuring out the angle from which it may have been deflected on, if there was lead to shield, it can be read by the scattering patterns in the 3D imaging detector.

The lab for MTS has been mainly under Holmann’s provision since around 2008 and received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for around four years, however not anymore.

Physics major Merrick Lavinsky, junior, was a part of the research group that was building the MTS during his freshman year at Florida Tech.

Lavinsky was one of five in a group, under professor Francisco Yumiceva, dedicated to building a machine they knew was an important facet to past and future research development bigger than the scope of only Florida Tech.

“We finished most of the project during my freshman year, but with the ongoing process of what had been put in before me and what we’re going to get after the project,” said Lavinsky. “We all knew it was on a big scale of importance with how accurate everything needed to be.”

At such a small scale of detection, the accuracy is very important to the success of the readings.

Tommy Walker, junior, is a physics major who currently works with the MTS in Holmann’s research.

“I had to check and make sure Dr. Holmann was okay about us talking about this,” Walker said.

Equipment used by the research team to help aid in the detection of muon particles. Photo by Seamus Burns.

The components of this material, such as many of the aerospace companies, have confidential research and information for their services that could be considered proprietary for companies; in some cases where research is on a global scale, they may not be allowed to talk about it so openly.

The research is highly prominent in further developing quantum theory as well as understanding fundamental nuclear functionality and exactly how dangerous it can be.

With connections to CERN, the prestige given to the pool of intelligence where this research is coming and going cannot be overstated.

Walker said, “The reason I joined is to use subatomic particles that an average person hasn’t heard of, to find hidden objects.”

Almost investigative, the research group aims at identifying exactly where and how a muon came from, thus by reading its position and scattering map with the tomography detectors.

Senior physics major, Akshath Wikramanayake said, “It would be nice if everyone shared the same enthusiasm for particle physics. I actually think Dr. Holmann was the reason for Consensus coming to visit our campus.”

Particle Physics rapper Consensus had visited Florida Tech and hosted a concert at the pantherium in November of last semester.

He was mostly swayed by the incredibly up to date science and research on campus, largely due to Holmann, said Wikramanayake.

The rapper focuses on spreading the message of science and raps about quantum theory and particle physics.

The research group hopes to continue bringing awareness and interest into the program.

Filed Under: College of Engineering and Science, News, Technology Tagged With: CERN, engineering, muon, particle physics, physics, students

New bike rack location receives criticism

February 19, 2019 by Marc Kanneh Leave a Comment

A bike rack was recently installed in the lower level of the Colombia Village parking garage, taking up two parking spaces.

The new bike racks have taken up two parking spaces at the Columbia Village parking garage. Photo by Marc Kenneh.

“We’re going to have to tear those out of the ground, I mean, it’s just dumb,” SGA president, Jace Petrowski said.

Mitchell Spalding, the chairman in charge of the Signature Programs Committee, said there was no consultation or discussion with students before the racks were placed.

Vinai Balroop, a freshman that lives in Roberts Hall, said, “It’s stupid, there’s already I high demand for parking in the garage and a lot of the freshmen that live around there have cars so I don’t know why they would take way two spaces.”

The only communication came in the form of a PSA from SGA Vice President Baylee Keener after the installation.

In the email PSA, Keener stated, “We have received many questions about the new bike racks in the lower level of the Columbia Village parking garage. Those bike racks are where the new bikes will be kept in order to keep them looking new and safe from any rust so that we can continue our bike program without having to keep buying new bikes.”

Petrowski, said that he is trying to see where the miscommunication was and that the racks weren’t supposed to be in a parking spot.

Spalding was responsible for the bike rental program.

“I didn’t advertise enough to students about the placement of the bike racks and I apologize,” Spalding said. “Hopefully in the future, should they be moved or should there be a petition for them to be moved, I’ll be willing to hear ideas from students about where to move them.”

Spalding said that it was cheaper and easier on the SGA’s budget to put the new bikes under the garage, rather than buy an awning for the old uncovered racks.

Rayne Parker, a transfer student also living in Colombia Village, said, “I feel like they were unnecessary. They could have definitely found better placement.”

Aside from the controversial placement of the bike rack, the program seems to be doing well otherwise.

“They are available for students to rent for free. We’ve actually rented out about half already in the first two days of its creation,” Spalding said. “In our agreement with Infinity Bike Shop, the bike shop will come out and maintain the bikes and give us discounts on replacement parts.”

The bikes are available to rent for free through a form on Panther Prowl.

Filed Under: News, Opinion, Travel Tagged With: bike rack, bikes, opinion, SGA, students

Blood drive brings in life savers

February 17, 2019 by Christian Martinez Leave a Comment

Taking place from Jan.30-31, the Florida Tech Blood Drive recently came and left with the life-saving blood that’d be shipped to hospitals all around Florida for transfusions.

OneBlood, the organization who sends out the Big Red Bus to collect blood donations, has a constant need for blood.

“There is a never-ending need for blood every day everywhere,” said Susan Forbes, OneBlood’s senior executive of communication and public relations. “Less than 10 percent of the population donates when 40 percent is eligible.”

According to Red Cross Blood Services, “Only about three percent of age-eligible people donate blood yearly” but “less than 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood.”

It’s because of this need that people like Arpad Marsh, a senior in forensic psychology [and fellow Crimson reporter], donates as often as he can for the last two years and every time the Big Red Bus is on campus.

“I know that it could possibly save someone’s life,” Marsh said. “The blood won’t just sit around. I know that it’s going to be put to good use.”

Blood collected from the Big Red Buses gets tested the night of collection, and after two or three days it is sent to hospitals all over Florida, Forbes said.

Forbes also said the OneBlood gets from 2,000-2,500 donations a day throughout their service area in Florida and parts of Georgia.

Forbes said that the amount of Florida Tech students that donate varies in the collection cycle. “Each drive is unique to in and of itself,” she said.

OneBlood sets up a donation event with Florida Tech around 56 days after the last one, which is the time it takes most people to recover from a previous donation and be in good shape to donate once again.

It’s because the donations happen so often that Bao Nguyen, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering, decided to seize the opportunity presented to him and donated for the first time on Wednesday, Jan 30.

“I feel okay,” Nguyen said. “It’s way easier than I thought.”

He described being nervous as he walked up to the Big Red Bus and signed in to give his blood for the cause.

“I felt anxiety not knowing what would happen,” Nguyen said. “But the people were nice and the procedure went perfect and you would feel okay afterwards.”

Nguyen also mentioned that he did this after finishing his classes for the day so he could relax and recover in peace.

As a piece of advice for new donors, Nguyen said to not look at the needle. As big as it may seem to you, it’s not that bad, he said.

OneBlood’s website has several requirements to be eligible to donate: you have to be in reasonably good health, have no prior conditions that would be aggravated by the procedure, no blood-borne diseases and to wait 12 months after if you get a tattoo and/or body piercing.

The next opportunity for students to give blood is listed on Florida Tech’s campus calendar for March 27 and 28.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Blood, Blood drive, On-Campus, Volunteer

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • …
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • “Everything in my life changed after I was raped.” Third confirmed rape not included within Florida Tech’s Clery data
  • Comics – Sunny Vol. 7
  • Cadets test their leadership skills in field training exercises
  • Students protest in response to Florida Tech Clery Act violations
  • Recycling Switches to Dual Stream System for Sustainable Improvements

Categories

  • All-Stories
  • Arts
  • Business
  • Clubs
  • Colleges
    • College of Aeronautics
    • College of Business
    • College of Engineering and Science
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Funny
  • Health
  • Local
  • Music
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • World

Copyright © 2019 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in