Last Friday, February 20, the Institute for Theoretical Physics IFT-UAM/CSIC held a new edition of the International Masterclass – Hands on Particle Physics, an educational outreach activity aimed at high-school students with an interest in fundamental physics. The event, organized in collaboration with CIEMAT and as part of the global program coordinated by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), brought together 40 students who spent the day at the IFT facilities in Madrid.
The program offered participants a hands-on introduction to particle physics through a combination of lectures and practical exercises. Students learned about the basic principles of particle physics, accelerators, and detectors, before working directly with real data collected by the ATLAS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This allowed them to experience, in a realistic way, how physicists analyze experimental data to investigate the fundamental structure of matter.
In the afternoon, the Madrid group joined an international videoconference session, where students discussed and compared their results with peers and scientists connected from several countries, including Portugal, Poland, Georgia, and CERN (Geneva). The exchange provided a unique opportunity to experience the collaborative and global nature of modern scientific research.
The activity sparked strong enthusiasm among participants. Mario, a student from IES Joaquín Rodrigo, highlighted the exceptional nature of the experience:
“We are handling CERN data — something you never encounter in everyday life. The activity is truly impressive and a fascinating way to promote particle physics research. Understanding why things happen, realizing that there is an underlying order… I think that is what physics is ultimately about.”
Laura González Díaz, from IES Montevil, emphasized the educational value of the event:
“The day has been outstanding. We are gaining a very clear picture of what a working day at CERN might look like. It is a wonderful way to understand the universe and particle physics, especially through the use of mathematics, which I am passionate about.”
The Hands on Particle Physics Masterclass is part of IFT-UAM/CSIC’s broader commitment to science outreach and education, seeking to encourage scientific vocations and bring frontier research closer to younger generations. By engaging with authentic experimental data and interacting with the international scientific community, students gain insight into both the methods and the excitement of fundamental research.
