Physics: WIMPS and Bullets – The Mystery of Dark Matter with Dr Ben Maughan from The University of Bristol

Ben will present our current understanding of the nature of dark matter – the mysterious, invisible form of matter that dominates the Universe. He will cover some basic astronomical concepts such as distances, redshifts and the expansion of the Universe. He will then focus on a specific example of a colliding cluster of galaxies which gives new insight into the nature of dark matter.

The session will be based around a presentation, but will include some discussion sections for the students, and an interactive section for the students to experiment with images of a galaxy cluster in different wavelengths. This will make use of printouts and transparencies to be printed by the schools from material they will be emailed. The session will finish with a Q&A.

Suitable for: Year 11, 12 & 13

Preparation/Pre-reading: There is no pre-reading or preparation required for this session. There will be an acetate printout to be printed prior to the session. This will be emailed to participating schools.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Ben Maughan

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 or 4 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience.

Booking a Place: If you have a group that you would like to take part in this event, please contact us via email or by using the contact form on the right of this page. We will book your place subject to availability.