diff options
author | Eugeniy Mikhailov <evgmik@gmail.com> | 2013-08-27 10:17:12 -0400 |
---|---|---|
committer | Eugeniy Mikhailov <evgmik@gmail.com> | 2013-08-27 10:17:12 -0400 |
commit | b7c42566a899b479f86ba215e3e79ac5a7c13a21 (patch) | |
tree | 960d92428b74d316f64885d739cc8c4b8dd085c8 /manual/chapters/spol.tex | |
download | manual_for_Experimental_Atomic_Physics-b7c42566a899b479f86ba215e3e79ac5a7c13a21.tar.gz manual_for_Experimental_Atomic_Physics-b7c42566a899b479f86ba215e3e79ac5a7c13a21.zip |
added lab manual as it was prepared by Mike with better structured directories
Diffstat (limited to 'manual/chapters/spol.tex')
-rw-r--r-- | manual/chapters/spol.tex | 141 |
1 files changed, 141 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/manual/chapters/spol.tex b/manual/chapters/spol.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6c0446e --- /dev/null +++ b/manual/chapters/spol.tex @@ -0,0 +1,141 @@ +%\chapter*{Measuring the Speed of Light} +%\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Measuring the Speed of Light} +\documentclass{article} +\usepackage{tabularx,amsmath,boxedminipage,epsfig} + \oddsidemargin 0.0in + \evensidemargin 0.0in + \textwidth 6.5in + \headheight 0.0in + \topmargin 0.0in + \textheight=9.0in + +\begin{document} +\title{Measuring the Speed of Light} +\date {} +\maketitle + +\noindent + \textbf{Experiment objectives}: Determine the speed of light directly by + measuring time delays of pulses. + +\section*{History} + + The speed of light is a fundamental constant of nature, the value +we now take for granted. In 1983, the internationally adopted value in vacuum became: + +\[ +c = 2.99792458 \times 10^8 m/s\,\, \mbox{exactly} +\] + +But considering that light travels seven and a half times around the world in one second, you can imagine how +challenging a measurement it would be to determine the exact value of the speed of light. In fact, it took +several attempts over many centuries to determine the value (some of the measurements are shown in Table 1). +\begin{figure}[hbt] +\centerline{\epsfig{file=ctable.eps, width=6in, angle=0}} \label{fig:ctable} + +\end{figure} + +The first attempt at a measurement was made by Galileo in 1600 using two lanterns on hills. He had an assistant +on a distant mountain who would signal when he saw a lantern be masked, and then Galileo would measure the +interval between his own signaling and the response of his assistant. He only could find the speed of light to +be ``very fast''. But interestingly enough, the technique you will use is nowhere near the best, but it is +direct and in some ways similar to Galileo's. + +Several other experiments followed over the centuries until Michelson and Morely made a very accurate +measurement in 1887 using a specially design interferometer (which by lucky coincidence you explore during +another lab in our course). The currently accepted value was not determined until the advent of the laser. + +You might wonder why the speed of light is now a defined quantity. The +measurements at the end of the Table are measurements of the wavelength +and frequency of light, both referenced to the wavelength of atomic transitions +and to the frequency of atomic transitions. Distances can be measured to +small fractions of the wavelength of light, and this over distances of +meters. Frequencies are compared by beating one light signal against another +so that the difference frequency can be directly compared to atomic clocks. +You can estimate the accuracy of this by considering a meter to be measured +to $10^{-3}$ of $\lambda$ of some visible lightwave, and $\nu$, the frequency +can be measured to $10^{-5}$ Hz out of the frequency of an atomic transition. + +\section*{Procedure} + +\subsection*{Laser Safety} +While this is a weak laser caution should still be used. \textbf{Never look directly at the laser beam!} Align +the laser so that it is not at eye level. + +\subsection*{Set Up} +\textbf{Equipment needed}: diode laser, photodetector, lens, Pasco magnetic platform, large mirror on a rolling +table, small reference mirror, function generator, oscilloscope. + +In the experiment you modulate the power sent to the laser to produce short pulses of light, and then measure +the time it takes for these pulses to travel from the laser to the mirror and back to the photodetector, as +shown in the layout for the experiment in Fig. \ref{fig:solapp}. This measurement is repeated for several +displacements of the mirror (the more the better) by rolling the table with the mirror along the corridor (if +you like challenges, you can try to see how far you can go). + + +% +\begin{figure}[hbt] +\begin{center} +\epsfig{file=solapp.eps, width=5in, angle=0} +\end{center} +\caption{Speed of light Apparatus} \label{fig:solapp} +\end{figure} +% +\subsection*{Data acquisition} + +\begin{itemize} + +\item Put a rolling table as close as possible to the stationary table with the laser and the photodetector. Make +sure you have enough clearance to push the table along the corridor (you may need to move the tables). Make sure +that the laser beam hits the mirror relatively close to the center, and use fine tuning on the mirror to reflect +the beam to the photodetector - first without the lens, then with the lens in place. + +\item Plug in the output of the photodetector to the oscilloscope, and use a TTL pulse output as a trigger. If +everything works, you will see a train of nearly square pulses. Before starting the measurements, you first need +to think about two issues (\textit{the instructor will ask you about them}!): \\ +1) How will the detected signal change as you start pushing the mirror farther and farther? \\ +2) What is a suitable characteristic feature(s) of the detected signal to trace this change? Also, Make +yourself familiar with the scope features, such as ``measurements'' and ``save traces'' (your instructor or TA +will be able to help you with that). That will make your data acquisition easier. + + +\item Vary the position of the mirror by moving the rolling table from as close as possible to as far as possible +in about $10$ steps (the more measurements the more accurate final result you will have). For each step measure +the position of the table $D$. The floor tiles make a reasonable gauge - each tile is a 9 inch square (remember +to convert to meters!). Count the tile squares and double check. + +For each position each member of the group determine the light pulse time delay $T_{1,2,\cdots}$ by comparing +the time difference between the chosen characteristic features for the light reflected off the large ``distant'' +mirror and small ``reference'' mirror placed near the detector. Calculate average value $T_{ave}$ and the +uncertainty $\Delta T$. Below is the example of a table for data recording. + +\end{itemize} + +\vskip .1in + +\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|l|l|l|}\hline +$D \pm \Delta D$ ($\#$ of tiles)& $D \pm \Delta D$ (m) &$T_1$($\mu$s)& $T_2$($\mu$s) +& $T_3$($\mu$s) & $T_{ave}$ ($\mu$s) & $\Delta T$ ($\mu$s) \\ +\hline &&&&&&\\\hline +&&&&&&\\$\dots$&$\dots$&$\dots$&$\dots$&$\dots$&$\dots$&$\dots$\\\hline +&&&&&&\\\hline &&&&&&\\\hline &&&&&&\\\hline + +\end{tabular} + +\vskip .2in +\noindent + +\subsection*{Analysis} + +Plot the results of the measurements as a distance vs time delay graph $D vs. T$. If the measurements are done +properly, the data will be scattered close to a straight line, and the slope of this line is inversely +proportional to the speed of light $1/v$. Thus, the measured $v$ and its uncertainty can be extracted from +fitting the experimental data. This method should give more accurate results than calculating $v$ from each +measurements, since it allows avoiding systematic errors due to an offset in the distance measurements. From +same fit determine the distance intercept. It the obtained value reasonable? + +In the lab report compare the measured speed of light with the theoretical +value. Is it within experimental uncertainty? If it is not, discuss possible +systematic errors which affected your results. + +\end{document} |