Discover the „Scoala Altfel” program at the Magurele Physics Platform

(c) ISS
(c) ISS

The Magurele Physics Platform is opening today its doors for a „Scoala Altfel” week. Students and their teachers will visit the Platform’s research institutes and the Faculty of Physics to learn science from the researchers using interactive methods, presentations and guided tours.

The interactive exploration of the outer space, the discovery of the cosmic rays, what one can do with lasers, how are earthquakes taking place in Romania, how looks and how works an accelerator, how tornades and lightning form, observations through the telescope and microscope and light games are just some of the activities prepared by the researchers and teachers.

The events take place at the Institute of Space Science and at the Institute of Atomic Physics, at the Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering – Horia Hulubei, at the The National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, at the National Institute for Earth Physics, at the National Institute for Optoelectronics and at the University of Bucharest’s Faculty of Physics.

The participation at the activities is possible only in groups accompanied by teachers, by prior appointment.

THE ACTIVITIES

The Institute of Space Science (407 Atomistilor Street, IFA Tower, 2nd floor)

  • Interactive classification of the galaxies
  • What are the black holes?
  • Interactive exploration of outer space
  • Cosmos Ray – the messengers of the Universe
  • Alice in Wonderland for the little physicist
  • Sun nuclear emulsions observations by telescope and microscope
  • Particles hunt

Images from the ISS’s last year activities can be found here.

The Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering – Horia Hulubei (30 Reactorului Street)

  • Overview of IFIN-HH in the Tandem seminar room.
  • Visits to the 9 MV and 3 MV reactors (Accelerators Tandem Department), to the Department of Nuclear Physics, to the Department of Hadronic Physics and to the Technological Irradiation Center (IRASM).
  • ELI-NP site overview, an european scientific project launched last year.

The National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (409 Atomiștilor Street)

  • Participation at experiments and interactive demonstrations using various optical devices, organized by SPIE Chapter Romania: properties of laser radiation, absorption, transmission, reflection and refraction of light; laser microscope; the human hair thickness measurement using the laser diffraction.
  • Visit at the laboratories of the Laser Department and Laser applications presentation.

The National Institute of Materials Physics (105 Atomistilor Street)

  • Presentation of the material importance in daily life for various useful applications, familiar of possible in the future.
  • Tour of the laboratories and primary facilities (the Clean Room, the high resolution transmission electronic microscopy).

The National Research Institute for Earth Physics (12 Călugăreni Street)

  • Presentation of the National Seismic Network, explaining the operating principle of a seismic station and the role of the nearly 100 seismic stations in Romania.
  • Presentation of some methods and tools for seismic risk reduction.
  • How works a real-time warning system in case of a major earthquake.
  • How is created the distribution map of the soil movement in case of strong earthquakes.
  • What should we do in case of earthquake?

The National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics (409 Atomiștilor Street)

  • The simulation of a mini tornado.
  • Hot and cold bodies view (infrared camera).
  • Practical experiments to understand the concepts of: air pressure and density, lightning, and radiative and optical phenomena.
  • The transformation of mechanical energy into electricity.

The Faculty of Physics (405 Atomistilor Street)

  • Can a cylinder climb a hill without help?
  • What is a Gyroscope and how it helps us in everyday life.
  • Determination of gravitational acceleration.
  • Playing with lights
  • Electricity and Magnetism
  • How works the heat engine?

Here are some photos of this year’s event: