How to handle a radioactive nucleus: ISOLDE 50th anniversary robot competition

The field of nuclear physics suffers greatly in the public image from its association with catastrophes (Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Tchernobyl, Sellafield, Fukushima). The first aim of this project is therefore to tackle misconceptions about nuclear physics among 14-16 year olds; to make clear the distinction between nuclear power, nuclear engineering and nuclear weaponry; and to introduce concepts from current nuclear research. This will include both practical issues such as radiological risks, radioactive material handling and waste management, and the fundamental questions of nuclear physics: How does matter hold together? Where does it come from?

These ideas will be introduced to the students in the context of the work going on at CERN ISOLDE, with the secondary aim of raising public awareness of this facility, its history, ongoing research, and the UK's involvement. This will tie into the upcoming 50th anniversary of the facility's foundation.

In order to communicate these concepts to the target audience in an engaging, accessible way, the programme will be themed around a robotics competition, where schools will be challenged to build and program a LEGO robot analogous to the ISOLDE target handling system. This practical, hands-on activity will be a fun introduction to robotics, and the programming element will build on activities schools may have undertaken as part of 2014's 'year of code'.

Ten undergraduate 'science ambassadors' will be trained to deliver a schools workshop around nuclear physics and ISOLDE, and introducing the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit to be used in the competition part of the programme. Each school will then be provided with a Mindstorms kit and assigned a science ambassador to act as 'robotics coach'. This ongoing contact with a student science ambassador will give pupils from ten schools an opportunity to talk informally to a physics undergraduate about his or her academic path and careers plans, with the aim of raising aspirations and promoting physics as a subject choice at A-Level and beyond.

One of the project personnel, Emma Nichols, is the University of Manchester's Ogden Science Officer, and as such 0.5 of her role is funded by the physics educational and outreach charity the Ogden Trust. The Ogden Trust has established schools partnerships across the country - these are regional groups of 6-12 schools which receive annual funding to support physics enrichment activities. The UoM science officer works with 7 of these partnerships in the North West, visting each partnership termly and maintaining regular contact with teacher representatives from a total of 60 schools and colleges. The workshops and competition will be marketed to schools selected from this network.

Outcomes from the project will be reported at one of the Ogden Trust's biannual meetings, and will therefore be shared with the other 18 Ogden Science Officers working at English universities (http://www.ogdentrust.com/university-outreach/science-officers). A project guide will also be shared among this network to enable other OSOs to run similar schemes, and will also be made available to UoM's other academic Schools via the internal public engagement and widening participation networks. Emma Nichols is also a member of the Institute of Physics' Schools Outreach Support Network, which meets several times a year to share best practice.

Any resources produced (the project guide, presentations or other materials on ISOLDE, or on nuclear research) will be shared online through the Ogden Trust website, the UoM School of Physics website, and the National STEM Centre library. The acquired LEGO Education robotics tool kits will be made available to other outreach events.