the-BA : Intel ISEF 2007

Holly Batchelor, winner of the Intel ISEF prize at the 2007 BA CREST Science Fair

Holly Batchelor will be carrying the hopes of the UK with her when she lands in America to represent our top young scientists at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The fair, which runs from 13-19 May in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the world's largest pre-college celebration of science.

Holly earned her place at the fair in February, after impressing judges at the national BA CREST Science Fair held in London. Her project investigating cosmic rays – high energy particles that travel close to the speed of light – was highly praised, as was her enthusiasm for the subject and her outstanding ability to communicate her work.

‘I’m really excited about going to Albuquerque for the Intel ISEF,’ says Holly, 17, from The Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh. ‘I plan to study physics at university and doing this project gave me a great insight into what studying at university will be like. Now I can’t wait to represent the UK and see what projects other students have done. I’m looking forward to taking part in the competition and the chance to mix with people from so many different countries. It’s a fantastic opportunity.’

Roland Jackson, Chief Executive of the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science), which coordinates the BA CREST Science Fair, says: ‘Holly and her project made a big impression on judges at the UK national science fair. We have high hopes that she’ll repeat her success at Intel ISEF, where she’ll be competing among nearly 1,500 students from more than 40 nations.’

Primary cosmic rays consist of the nuclei of elements produced by events elsewhere in the universe. Possible sources of these rays are supernovae and the Sun. When the high energy particles are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field, interactions occur which cause cosmic ray showers of electrons, gamma rays, neutrinos and muon particles to rain down on the Earth. Carrying out her research in the School of Physics at the University of Edinburgh, Holly investigated the energies and angles with which these rays hit the planet and compared them to modern day theories. She also designed a diffusion cloud chamber to enable school children to see the particle tracks made by cosmic rays for themselves.

‘I wanted to make a reliable chamber for a reasonable amount of money so that it could be copied by schools,’ says Holly. ‘My final design, which was constructed from a plastic aquarium, sheet aluminium and felt, cost less than 40 pounds to make. A ‘cloud’ of vapour was created using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and particle tracks were clearly visible in it.’

Since the cloud chamber can be constructed at a fraction of the price of existing equipment, far more schools will be able to afford one.

Dr Jackson adds: ‘Holly demonstrates an infectious enthusiasm for physics. This, coupled with her exceptional scientific skills and ability to explain the work behind her project clearly, make her the perfect role model for young scientists everywhere.’

The BA would like to thank Intel for sponsoring the trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair, and AstraZeneca and Research Councils UK for their sponsorship of CREST.

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