Virtual ATLAS masterclass 2021

Together with our nearby ATLAS colleagues at TRIUMF, UBC, and SFU, as well as our U.S. ATLAS colleagues at LBNL/Berkeley and Duke, the VISPA ATLAS group hosted its 9^th Masterclass, and our first fully online Masterclass, on 24 April 2021, with excellent students from multiple high schools around the Victoria area joining many high school students from around North America for a one day online crash course in particle physics, experiencing what it's like to be a particle physicist and ATLAS scientist. 

The program included three presentations from particle physics researchers on particle physics theory and cosmology, on the Large Hadron Collider and the ATLAS detector (from UVic ATLAS physicist Ben Wright), and on the analysis of collision data (from UVic ATLAS physicist Danika MacDonell).  The Masterclass students connected to a live video tour of the ATLAS cavern at CERN, and experienced hands on analysis of actual ATLAS data to find Z and Higgs bosons, and to search for undiscovered new particles, with thanks to very helpful advice from UVic ATLAS physicists Maheyer Shroff, Danika MacDonell, Meisam Ghasemi-Bostanabad, and Charlie Chen.  Results were shared via video conference with other ATLAS teams across North America.  Many thanks to all the high school teachers and students for their participation, and to the many VISPA members and UVic staff and faculty involved in organizing this event.