The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP)

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

9911855 SNOW The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) is a four-year project that involves Nebraska teachers and students in the detection of very high-energy cosmic rays. Each summer six new high school teams of one teacher and up to three students will participate. Participation begins with a four-week session at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln working to set up CROP detectors, troubleshoot the instrumentation, collect data, interpret local cosmic ray event data, and share the extremely high energy cosmic ray event data with colleagues from around the state. Over the four years of the project 30 teachers and 240 students will have participated in structured research activities with the senior scientists. CROP involves teachers and students in a fundamental physics research experience, beginning with pre-data collection activities such as detector refurbishing and installation, debugging of the electronics locally, calibration of equipment, continuous data collection and maintenance of the experimental components. It is research that depends on students and teachers in a meaningful way. "The experiments begin right in the classroom, continue through the school year, and via coordinated Internet sharing of data, extends beyond the schoolyard's boundaries. The anticipated, extremely high-energy cosmic ray events require a very large distributed array of detectors that can be regularly maintained. The location on school roofs across the State of Nebraska provides that. The transfer to the classroom is enhanced by the self-contained classroom activities that have been developed for this purpose and are tied to the instrumentation and data collection as well as the decay of cosmic rays. This carefully crafted project mimics the way fundamental research is done; that's what's being done.