Physics Comment Magazine March 2018 Issue Physics Comment March 2018_v1.3 | Page 29
“I realised that High Energy Physics
basically involves a lot of
interesting stuff, like astronomy
and dark matter.”
Mdhluli’s
research is on trying to find
materials that can withstand the
high levels of radiation for parts of
the ATLAS detector.
“If you want to study particles
beyond the standard model, you
need to get efficient and accurate
data, so if the materials in the
detectors deteriorate over time,
then that means the signals that
they get over time are not reliable.
So, we are trying to make it as
efficient as possible by making sure
that the materials they are using
will be able to last long periods and
will have reliable signals coming
through,” she says.
Professor Elias Sideras-Haddad,
Mdhluli’s PhD supervisor and a
member of the ATLAS experiment,
is enthusiastic about training
students in nuclear and radiation
physics: “The ATLAS
experiment operates under high
levels of radiation. South Africa has
excellent capabilities to understand
how detector components respond
to radiation. Our work with the
ATLAS experiment opens a new
dimension and it demonstrates that
South Africa has a lot to offer,” says
Sideras-Haddad.
Speaking at the HEPP workshop in
Stellenbosch, Mathis Wiedeking of
iThemba Laboratories said that
South Africa has a long-standing
collaboration with CERN. “Student
training and the education of our
next generation scientists is a top
priority and a foundation for
research development. South Africa
plays a visible role in this field of
Wits’ involvement at CERN has research and contributes quite
already led to actual technological significantly,” he said.
innovation in South Africa, where
the Cape Town-based company, “The SA-CERN consortium has the
Trax Interonnect built a new 16- capacity to attract young people
layer electronics board specifically and get kids interested in science,
for the ATLAS detector upgrade.
and it plays a huge role in sparking
their interest in science and
This board was until recently the technology among young South
most complex printed circuit board Africans.” Mellado agrees. “Our
ever produced in South Africa. “The collaboration with CERN provides
production of the board for ATLAS us with an excellent opportunity to
was a challenge. Since then, we have develop human capacity in areas of
improved on our own capabilities high-tech that are badly needed in
and now we are able to produce even South Africa, contributing to the
more complex boards,” says Daniel training of a new generation of
Dock, Managing Director of Trax leaders. Technology transfer to
Interconnect.
South African industry is an
important by-product of this
interaction,” says Mellado.
Science teaching and learning still a problem in some areas
Report by Dr Buyi Sondezi, University of Johannesburg
Science Promotion Strategies
In an endeavour to deal with the
challenge of reduced student
numbers
especially
at
the
postgraduate level, one of Dr
Sondezi’s strategies is to deal with
the challenge from school level. It’s
been few years now that various
approaches are used in motivating
learners to choose Physical Science
at high school, and ultimately
science-related courses at tertiary
institutions.
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These
programmes
includes
Science
Learners’ Conferences,
Laboratory visits at the University,
specifically,
University
of
Johannesburg (UJ).
At the beginning of 2018, a visit to a
specific area in KwaZulu-Natal,
learners were invited for career
guidance which revealed a challenge
common in most rural areas. As
Science careers were presented,
learners raised the fact that their
schools do not offer Physical
Science
streams
which
automatically closed doors to
Science related career choices. The
challenge raised was the lack of
teachers to teach these subjects,
generally regarded as national
problem.