Kind of a Drag: experimental observations of an angular Doppler effect
Major
Physics
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Physics
Faculty Advisor
Gabriel C. Spalding
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2025 11:15 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 12:15 PM
Abstract
We consider principles invoked for Fizeau’s (translational) “light dragging” experiment, but instead aim to compare any measurable effects caused by different rotationally moving media. That is, an angular Doppler effect might be expected when a wave, such as a beam of light, interacts with a rotating medium: one might predict a very small frequency shift in the wave proportional to the moving medium's frequency of rotation. We will construct an optical test, comparing propagation through an isotropic medium (glass) with propagation through an anisotropic (birefringent) medium (in particular, a rotating half-wave plate). Besides providing insight into the angular Doppler effect, this methodology may hold potential for applications in metrology, astronomy, and studies of fundamental physics.
Kind of a Drag: experimental observations of an angular Doppler effect
CNS Atrium
We consider principles invoked for Fizeau’s (translational) “light dragging” experiment, but instead aim to compare any measurable effects caused by different rotationally moving media. That is, an angular Doppler effect might be expected when a wave, such as a beam of light, interacts with a rotating medium: one might predict a very small frequency shift in the wave proportional to the moving medium's frequency of rotation. We will construct an optical test, comparing propagation through an isotropic medium (glass) with propagation through an anisotropic (birefringent) medium (in particular, a rotating half-wave plate). Besides providing insight into the angular Doppler effect, this methodology may hold potential for applications in metrology, astronomy, and studies of fundamental physics.