REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Astrophysics, Nuclear, and Particle Physics

Wayne State University, Detroit MI

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the renewal of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program hosted at Wayne State University. The program consists of a preparation phase involving a one-hour course given over the winter to student participants, followed by ten weeks of summer research at either Wayne State University, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), or the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in topics including Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, or Particle Physics. The one-hour course introduces the students to the physical, mathematical and computational concepts relevant for the summer experience. It includes a computer training homework and an ethics component. The participants then merge with other existing REU programs at each site for social activities and lectures on various scientific topics. Students are mentored by PhD researchers working on leading edge physics topics and/or technologies chosen for good mentorship qualities as well as their leadership in their respective scientific fields. Students are given an opportunity to choose to participate in one of two domains of activities hosted at Wayne State University and FNAL or SLAC (the choice of the away site depends on the availability of projects in a given year). The program features many research avenues and activities, including: studies of the properties of supernovae observed photometrically, development of new detection instruments for particle physics or astrophysics, development of systems to manage a large number of computers, designing and coding advanced software for data analysis, research and development of the design of an optical all sky survey focused on measuring cosmology, data analysis in experimental nuclear and particle physics, development of science education and outreach projects, and theoretical studies of properties of strong interactions. Students are required to submit a report in the form of a paper at the end of their experience and deliver oral presentations.