Enhancement to the Undergraduate Advanced Physics Laboratory Experience: Measurement of Muon Properties

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This project significantly enhances the Advanced Physics Laboratory curriculum at Bucknell University in two distinct ways. First, it enables the PIs to implement a series of advanced laboratories that engage students in the complete scientific enterprise. Advanced laboratory classes are traditionally seen as a stepping-stone to the process of new research. These labs are the product of existing experiments in the literature (e.g., R.W.Clay, et al., Electronic Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 17 (2), 171; or N. Easwar and D.A. MacIntire, Am. J. Phys. 59 (7), 1991) as well as the PI's extensive experience in the field of high-energy physics. This project addresses a key element that is often overlooked in the undergraduate laboratory environment: a preliminary calculation that justifies the experiment and estimates the likelihood of its success. The addition of this aspect to existing experiments significantly increases the benefit both to students planning to pursue advanced degrees in science, as well as those planning to go into industry. The second contribution of this project is the addition of a muon lifetime experiment to the Advanced Physics Laboratory class. This experiment introduces undergraduates to the area of experimental high-energy physics using modern instrumentation common to the particle physics research environment. In addition, the initial construction and commissioning of this experiment provides an opportunity for an independent project to an upper-division undergraduate student. Finally, the equipment serves as a valuable resource for classroom demonstrations for several undergraduate physics classes. The results of the project are evaluated and published in peer-reviewed journals and presented both by faculty and undergraduate students at relevant national and regional conferences.