CALICE Si/W electromagnetic calorimeter prototype, first testbeam results

A highly granular electromagnetic calorimeter prototype based on tungsten absorber and sampling units equipped with silicon pads as sensitive devices for signal collection is under construction. The full prototype will have in total 30 layers and be read out by about 10000 Si cells of 1 cm^2. A first module consisting of 14 layers and depth of 7.2 radiation lengths at normal incidence, having in total 3024 channels of 1 cm^2, was tested recently with electron beam. We describe the prototype and discuss some preliminary testbeam results.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the International Linear Collider Workshop LCWS 2005, Stanford University, 18-22 March 200

Studying, designing and 3d-printing an operational model of the Antikythera Mechanism

3D printing technology is an established industrial practice for rapid prototyping and manufacturing across a range of products, components and commercial sectors and at the same time possesses great potential for every-day life applications to be invented, explored and developed by the coming generations of scientists and engineers. A 3D printer installed in a school setting and complemented by well-designed educational activities can: stimulate the interest and curiosity of students; engage and motivate them into studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, that they may choose or consider as career options; give the opportunity to teachers to achieve content and concept learning in an innovative way. In this paper we present an interdisciplinary science course that was developed for high school students and was implemented in an actual science classroom. The objectives of the course were both to spark the interest and creativity of students and teach them certain curriculum units the content knowledge of which is reached or utilized in an unconventional way. Students are gradually introduced into the 3D printing technology, its application and potential and are assigned a challenging collaborative project in which they have to study, analyse, design and build, using the 3D printer of their school, an operational model of a renown ancient artefact, the so-called Antikythera Mechanism. The mechanism is a 2100-year-old computer and is internationally known as an artefact of unprecedented human ingenuity and scientific, historic and symbolic value. The course involves the teaching of STEM curriculum domains of physics, astronomy, mathematics/geometry, informatics and technology related content and also non-STEM subjects like history and Greek language, both ancient and modern. We give an overview of the course, discuss its various phases and highlight its outcomes

CASTOR: Centauro and Strange Object Research in nucleus-nucleus collisions at LHC

We describe the CASTOR detector designed to probe the very forward, baryon-rich rapidity region in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the LHC. We present a phenomenological model describing the formation of a QGP fireball in a high baryochemical potential environment, and its subsequent decay into baryons and strangelets. The model explains Centauros and the long-penetrating component and makes predictions for the LHC. Simulations of Centauro-type events were done. To study the response of the apparatus to new effects different exotic species (DCC, Centauros, strangelets etc.) were passed through the deep calorimeter. The energy deposition pattern in the calorimeter appears to be a new clear signature of the QGP.Comment: Talk given by E. Gladysz-Dziadus for the CASTOR group, Intern. Workshop on Nuclear Theory, 10-15 June, 2002, Bulgaria, Rila Mountains, 15 pages, 14 figure

Formation of Centauro and Strangelets in Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions at the LHC and their Identification by the ALICE Experiment

We present a phenomenological model which describes the formation of a Centauro fireball in nucleus-nucleus interactions in the upper atmosphere and at the LHC, and its decay to non-strange baryons and Strangelets. We describe the CASTOR detector for the ALICE experiment at the LHC. CASTOR will probe, in an event-by-event mode, the very forward, baryon-rich phase space 5.6 < \eta < 7.2 in 5.5 A TeV central Pb + Pb collisions. We present results of simulations for the response of the CASTOR calorimeter, and in particular to the traversal of Strangelets.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the 26th ICR