We asked our guests to write a summary of their week from their point of view:
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On our first day as interns, we were warmly welcomed at the Research and Technology Center for Detector Physics (FTD). We were given a tour of the building and looked at some particularly interesting rooms. Some rooms were particularly protected as they were so-called clean rooms. These are rooms in which very precise work is carried out, which is why hardly any dust particles are allowed in the air so as not to contaminate the materials produced.
Later that day, we started our work for the following days: our own particle detector! A particle detector is used in particle and nuclear physics to measure ionizing radiation. The particle detector that we built is a DIY project that is inexpensive to produce because it is based on silicon photodiodes. During construction, we learned how to use a soldering iron and how various electronic components work.
This particle detector can be used to distinguish between different types of particles such as alpha particles and electrons. The detected signals only emit a very weak current signal, which is first converted into a voltage signal via an operational amplifier and then amplified by 100 so that a PC can read and interpret this now strong signal. As the sensors we used are also sensitive to light, we installed the detector in a dark box. The signal output allows the detector to be connected directly to a PC or smartphone via the headset input.
On our second day, we could look at a radio telescope from the inside. We set off from the Argelander Institute for Astrophysics and made our way to Hoher List in the Volcanic Eifel. When we arrived, we were given a very warm welcome and guided through the telescope. We were told that the telescope was built in 1956 as one of the first German science projects after the war. We were even allowed to take some measurements ourselves and took a closer look at one part of the Milky Way in particular. We were able to detect hydrogen and draw conclusions about the structure of our Milky Way based on the various structures in the diagram.
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Students who are interested in getting an insight into the world of particle physics are welcome to apply for an internship with us.
