How does a ring laser detect Earth's rotation?

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    Laser Ring Rotation
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SUMMARY

A ring laser gyroscope detects Earth's rotation through the Sagnac effect, which measures the phase shift of light traveling in opposite directions around a closed loop. This technology does not require the laser path to circle the entire Earth; instead, it can function effectively on a smaller scale by utilizing the rotation of the reference frame. The Coriolis effect also plays a role in understanding how rotation affects measurements in a non-inertial frame. This discussion clarifies misconceptions about the necessity of the laser path's orientation relative to Earth's rotation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Sagnac effect
  • Familiarity with ring laser gyroscopes
  • Basic knowledge of the Coriolis effect
  • Concept of rotating reference frames
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of the Sagnac effect in detail
  • Explore the design and applications of ring laser gyroscopes
  • Study the Coriolis effect and its implications in physics
  • Investigate how rotating reference frames impact measurements
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, engineers, and students interested in rotational dynamics, inertial navigation systems, and advanced measurement technologies will benefit from this discussion.

journierman
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This is my first time posting here so I hope I am in the right place. So I have read about some scientists who have built a ring laser that is sensitive enought to detec the Earth's rotation. I can get how a ring laser can detect the rotation of a missile say if the laser path is perpendicular to the direction of the missile travel. I can not seem to get my head around how a ring laser could detect the rotation of the Earth if its sitting on the surface of the Earth and the beam path is not perpendicular to the Earth rotation. It seems like to me for a ring laser to detect the Earth rotation the laser path would have to go around the whole earth. Can anybody help me understand this?
 
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Why would it have to go around the Earth? If you take a rotating frame and move it off axis, it's still rotating by the same amount.
 
Sorry I am dense. So I understand how it detects rotation when you rotate the ring laser around the center of the area it encloses. I do not understand how it could detect rotation any other way. Does this help?
 
Do you know the Coriolis effect? It's essentially that really.
 

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