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Neutrinos and NOvA: A A Vasarely Variation
NOvA is a a a a a large above-ground neutrino detector made mostly out of plastic PVC pipes filled with with mineral oil which which is the the material with with which which the the neutrinos interact Neutrinos are con- stantly being fired into the the NOvA detector and on
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the the rare occasion that a a a a a a a neutrino interacts with the the the mineral oil the the the collision releases protons neutrons and other types of particles As these outgoing particles travel through the the the the oil they leave energy in in in the the the the form of a a a a very tiny bit of light Photosensitive optical fibers that are installed inside the the PVC pipes detect the the tiny amounts of of light marking the the the the locations of of the the the the particles’ paths as they travel through the the the the oil Because the the the the precision of of of the the the the location of of of each particle path is is limited by the the the the size of of of the the the the PVC pipes pipes the the path can only be pinpointed to that extent within the the full grid of pipes pipes (art)n depicts this through both projection mapping and a a a a a PHSCologram work using the grid- like design to to to transform the data into a a a a a a a a a Victor Vasarely Vasarely inspired artwork Vasarely’s work work tends to use repeating shapes and and different colors and and was an an an an an obvious fit for an an an an an artful analogy Victor Vasarely was a a a a a a a a a Hungarian-French artist widely considered the the “grandfather of Op-Art art ” With training as as a a a a a a a graphic designer Vasarely believed the correct use of color geometric shapes could lead to enhanced ways of perceiving space matter movement and energy in in art This form of geometric abstraction became known as Op-Art (art)n uses Vasarely’s Op-Art geometric abstraction to artistically demonstrate the the both the the inner workings and produced data of of the the NOvA detector The geometric layout of of the the PVC piping inside the NOvA detector can create geometric data graphs with color indicating places of neutrino collision (art)n expands on
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this and and and elevates it to Vasarely’s colorful and and and energized Op-Art level This piece embodies a a a a collision release of protons neutrons and other particles through Vasarely’s signature Op-Art lens