Science Hands - Exploring antimatter with audible pendulums for school kids

The mission of SCIENCE HANDS is to make physics research more approachable for children in the school years 10/11 deciding towards their A-level choices. In school visits, a dedicated table-top experiment, consisting of coupled double-pendulums, will spark their curiosity to explore its movements. This being the mechanical analogue of matter-antimatter oscillations will allow them to explore an aspect of particle physics in a playful way. The project's aim is to be maximally approachable for school children by working with a group of enthusiastic undergraduate students who have recently founded the Manchester Particle Physics Research Society.

The results of a set of proposed measurements will be collected centrally to enable children from all schools visited within the project to compare their results and to contribute to a large collaboration. The publication of the construction guide and background information will allow anyone interested to participate as well and to contribute to this collaborative effort.

Reaching out to children with physical impairments, who often dismiss scientific carriers as an option due to their conditions, is essential to help them fully experience science and live out their potential. Therefore, one of SCIENCE HANDS aims is to explore the possibility of including this audience through targeted additions to the outreach material, such as a device to transform mechanical movement into sound to aid the visually impaired. Gender equality will also be actively encouraged by having equal numbers of female and male student representatives at each school visit.

The main way to establish connections for this outreach project is by direct communication with schools in the local area. Good contacts exist for example through the annual particle physics masterclasses or through regular school visits of particle physics staff.

Additional contacts will need to be established in order to explore outreach to specialist schools for disabled children. Here, the project will benefit from existing links of other staff members who have previously engaged in such outreach and will contact the relevant support networks in the local area.

Written material such as the construction guide, background information and suggested measurements will be published on the PPRS website. This will also be the host for advertising the work, which will be supported by posts on social media.