To coincide with British Science Week activities, our Year 12  A-level Physics students were lucky to be allocated places to attend the annual Particle Physics Masterclass day at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Didcot. This full day event for sixth form students provides an opportunity to explore particle physics at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) world-class research facilities.

Students listened to talks given by current researchers on the basics of particle physics and about how particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva actually work. They then participated in an interactive workshop using real LHC data to try and identify the elusive Higgs Boson. Well done to Jacob D who scored the highest in our group for his accuracy in using the data to categorise the types of particles being observed.

We then had a tour of the Diamond Light Source. This is the UK national synchrotron radiation facility, which generates brilliant beams of light from infrared to X-rays. These highly focused beams of light enable scientists and engineers to probe deep into the basic structure of matter and materials, answering fundamental questions about everything from the building blocks of life to the origin of our planet.

The students thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to gain a fascinating insight into where a degree in Physics could take them.