Particle physics at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
19. How many people are you expecting to attend?:
5 000
5. Your event image:
9. Type of event / activity (tick all that apply):
Exhibition/Display
10. Keywords:
Physics
18. Who is the intended audience?:
All
6. Event/activity description (max 300 words):
Look to the skies for live cosmic ray experiments where physicists from the University of Bristol will be celebrating the centenary of the discovery of cosmic rays.
As part of the Fiesta we will be recreating the historic experiments where detectors were carried aloft in hot air balloons to show that the cosmic radiation increases with altitude . The University played a key role in cosmic rays research, winning a Nobel Prize in the process. This research also gave birth to groundbased high energy physics and experiments such as those carried out at the Large Hadron Collider.
The exhibition will celebrate Nobel Prize winning particle physicists from the University and host interactive displays and hands-on activities, with researchers on hand throughout the Fiesta to explain the science behind these fascinating experiments.