Scientists for a Day

Every year, more than 10,000 high school students in more than 60 countries attend the International Physics Masterclasses to dive into real data from major particle physics experiments and uncover the mysteries of matter’s fundamental constituents. The initiative was launched during the International Year of Physics in 2005 by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG). In Italy, it is supported and coordinated by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN).

ICTP, through members of its High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (HECAP) section, has been actively involved in one of the most advanced particle physics experiments in the world: the ATLAS project at CERN. Participating for the first time in organising an International Physics Masterclass, HECAP welcomed 20 students of the International School of Trieste for an event on 3 March at ICTP co-sponsored by HECAP's ATLAS partners at the University of Udine. In the morning, the students attended lectures on the particle physics studied at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, including a brief introduction on the Standard Model of elementary particles. They also attended a lecture on particle detection in the ATLAS experiment. This was followed by a detailed hands-on session on how to analyse data generated with the ATLAS experiment, including how to identify particles in the ATLAS experiment and search for the Higgs boson, as well as other beyond-the-Standard-Model BSM particles. As in an actual international research collaboration, at the end of the day, the students discussed their results with two ATLAS scientists and other schools from Sweden, Austria, Germany, and Czechia.

“The lectures and tasks were a great experience for both the students and myself. It was also good for the students to try research work with the challenges it involves. The video conference at the end of the day was fantastic to link with other students doing similar tasks and for them to share the experience,” said Sarah Cramoysan, the teacher who accompanied the students during the visit.

“Even when the content was challenging, the students were enthused about the hands-on activities and the international conference with other schools,” commented Carrie Pierson, Director of the International School of Trieste.

Similar events will take place around the world throughout the month of March 2026. In addition to CERN, other major particle physics laboratories involved include Fermilab in the United States, Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Germany, and KEK, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation in Japan.

“It was a truly rewarding day,” said Mohammed Faraj of the ICTP-Udine research group working on the ATLAS experiment. “The students had the opportunity not only to analyse real ATLAS data but also to discuss their results with colleagues at CERN and engage in a short conversation with scientists working on the ATLAS experiment,” he continued, adding, “We would like to repeat this experience every year.”