This 'experiment' does not foresee to set up an experimental device nor to take data with an existing apparatus. The objective is the evaluation of data recorded in the years 2004 to 2006 with the D0 particle detector at the proton-antiproton collider Tevatron at FERMILAB near Chicago. This is a typical large scale particle physics project which annot be reproduced in a laboratory class, obviously. The analysis of huge amounts of experimental data is an important and typical activity of experimental particle physicists. This 'experiment' allows to make precise measurements of fundamental constants of nature.
The cross section for the process
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The data analysis is performed on Linux computers; a rudimentary knowledge of the Linux operating system is useful. To facilitate the coding of the analysis program (C++, ROOT package), examples and templates are provided, so that a basic knowledge of the C++ language is sufficient.
The diagram shows a "W event" (`red' electron plus `yellow' neutrino = missing energy) in the D0 detector. Shown is a cross section perpendicular to the beam axis.