Page 5 - EIC INTER - Desembre 2015

| Desembre 2015 | Inter. EIC Magazine | 5
IB/BAT

Sonali's experience at Michigan State University

his July I had the chance to the amount of the substance to be may think that it was easy, but
Tattend a one-week course halved. In other words, if you have there’s a twist. We had to design
at Michigan State University to 16 nuclei of substance X, and its half- the experiment and learn to use
study nuclear physics. Not only life is 3 minutes, there will be 8 nuclei the equipment ourselves, and
did this allow me to expand left after 3 minutes. After 3 more present our proposal to the jury.
my horizons and increase my minutes, only 4 nuclei will be left. For This experiment was an eye-opener
knowledge of the subject I want each time interval of 3 minutes, the because that is what you do in
to study at university, but it also radioactive substance is halved. university research. No one tells you
gave me a taste of university life We performed three activities, two what to do, and it is very frustrating
and what it will be like to study of which were experiments. The when you don’t get the results
one area of science for four years first one consisted in measuring the expected. Actually, no one really
(or more). started off with a briefing on what divided in three phases. First of all, half-life of the nucleus Barium-137. found the name of the substance we
Sonali Mayani (BAT/IB 2) the schedule was going to be for the we were explained some theory on We measured it with a device called had, and everybody had a different
The programme was directed day. After that, a researcher would the topic that the experiment was the Geiger Müller counter, which result. The last activity was playing
towards high school students come in to give us a conference going to be on. The second phase detects the gamma ray emitted by around with a program created
between the ages of 16 and 18 about what they do in their field. Each was the activity itself, and finally any radioactive substance. Then we by a theorist who studies energies
who wanted to take Physics in their day was for a different researcher the last phase was the presentation processed the data using Excel, and inside the nucleus of an atom (which
further studies. Most of us were from a different field. This was of the results. We performed three using that data we determined the keep the nucleus together), which is
there because we wanted to see very useful because it introduced experiments during the week. half-life of Barium-137. After that responsible for radioactivity.
whether or not we really wanted to us to the subdivisions of physics, To understand the experiments, we presented our results to the In conclusion, it was a wonderful
study physics, as it is a very rigorous which made us think about which we had to understand some basic class. The second experiment was experience and I am lucky that I was
subject which requires dedication field we would like to specialise in. nuclear physics. In the Universe related to gamma spectroscopy. able to be a part of such a talented
and hard-work. Not surprisingly, Personally, I opted for Astrophysics. there are some substances which We had an unknown radioactive group of students. The week was not
most of the participants were from When the conference ended, we undergo radioactive decay, meaning substance at our disposal, and we only full of science, but also full of
different regions of the United got the chance to have lunch with that they emit particles so that they had to find out which substance it fun, as after dinner we would make
States, with only two of us being the speaker, which allowed us to become more stable. Sometimes was. How do we do that? Using a trips around campus or play table
from abroad. The other international have informal conversation with these particles are high-energy gamma ray spectroscope, which tennis in the lounge together. One of
student was a promising boy from them and discuss topics like what it photons, also known as gamma rays. measure the energy of the gamma the most exciting trips was the visit
France. is like to work in university research The process of radioactive decay has ray that is emitted by the radioactive to the world-famous NSCL, which is
Personally, I really liked the activities or how they got into physics in the a specific time for each radioactive substance. Each substance in the a cyclotron facility used to look for
which were held for us. Each day of first place. material, and we measure this in Universe has some specific energies rare isotopes. Overall, it was a great
the week had a similar structure and The day continued with a lab the form of half-life. The half-life of for gamma ray emission, so we week which made me realise that
yet they were all so different. We activity or experiment which was a substance is the time it takes for can use them as a fingerprint. You Physics is really what I want to do.

Viatge d'Història de l'Art a París Light poetry

l passat 28, 29 i 30 d’octubre, n this activity, myself and
Eels alumnes d’Història Ia few other schoolfriends
de l’Art del Batxillerat Social, (Bhanu Dalal, Floriane Day,
van viatjar a París per poder Ketan Kumar, Artyom Urusadze,
veure en primera persona les Judit Abellà & Carmen Sirvent,
obres artístiques que han estat all from EIC Bachilllerato &
analitzant durant el curs. IB) had the opportunity to
participate and recite different
Mr Bastardas poems accompanied by piano
Van visitar els museus de Louvre i music played by Isabella
d’Orsay, parant especial atenció a Babineaux (ESO 3).
les obres del Renaixement, Barroc,
Neoclassicisme, Romanticisme Ketan Kumar (IB 2)
i les Avantguardes. Van resultar This year our main theme was
particularment populars les obres light as it was declared by each by great authors including
de gran mida del s. XVIII i XIX, UNESCO to name this year “The Chrissie Gittins and Paul
com ara El Jurament dels Horacis, la ciutat, des de les icones gaudir de l’especial atmosfera del International Year of Light”. We Cookson.
de David, o La Llibertat Guiant al més famoses a altres joies barri parisenc. performed this activity two It was a very entertaining
Poble, de Délacroix. menys conegudes. La cèntrica El viatge va resultar ser un èxit times: once for a Cultural Corner activity as we all learned, read
A part de les visites a museus, el localització de l’hotel, situat al rotund, i ens va fer valorar el fet session and again to give an and interpreted different poems
grup també va tenir l’oportunitat barri de Montmartre, va permetre de viure en un continent on tenim innovative end to our yearly for a mixed audience of students
d’observar els monuments el fàcil accés als principals punts meravelles de l’art i grans ciutats celebrated Science Week. from the school, families, staff
arquitectònics escampats per de la ciutat, alhora que permetia històriques a tan poca distància. We all read two different poems and patrons.