Observing Redshift Using Lasers
Major
Physics
Second Major
Computer Science
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Physics
Faculty Advisor
Gabriel Spalding
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-13-2024 8:30 AM
End Date
4-13-2024 9:45 AM
Abstract
Redshift is a prominent phenomenon in astronomy and astrophysics which affects the observed spectra of massive stellar objects. Like the Doppler effect when music playing on a bike slows as a biker passes, light shifts down the spectrum toward red as light emitted by stellar objects moving away from us. I would like to try to observe this in the lab, using a laser light impinging on a moving mirror. While the light coming from a traditional HeNe laser has a bandwidth that is far too broad, the literature reports external cavity diode lasers, which we might be able to assemble, that have a linewidth of 5kHz. If our mirror is attached to an ultrasonic actuator moving at 40kHz, hopefully we can see a slight shift down the color spectrum. Such work not only helps us to better understand how redshift affects our view of the universe, but provides an introduction to contemporary metrology, the science of “extreme” measurements.
Observing Redshift Using Lasers
CNS Atrium
Redshift is a prominent phenomenon in astronomy and astrophysics which affects the observed spectra of massive stellar objects. Like the Doppler effect when music playing on a bike slows as a biker passes, light shifts down the spectrum toward red as light emitted by stellar objects moving away from us. I would like to try to observe this in the lab, using a laser light impinging on a moving mirror. While the light coming from a traditional HeNe laser has a bandwidth that is far too broad, the literature reports external cavity diode lasers, which we might be able to assemble, that have a linewidth of 5kHz. If our mirror is attached to an ultrasonic actuator moving at 40kHz, hopefully we can see a slight shift down the color spectrum. Such work not only helps us to better understand how redshift affects our view of the universe, but provides an introduction to contemporary metrology, the science of “extreme” measurements.