- #1
nvikas
- 7
- 20
On 28 November 2018, a lecture was given by Dr. Rainer Weiss (2017 Nobel Prize Winner for Physics) at the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto. The lecture was about his work with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
In his lecture talked about quadruple pendulums or four pendulums vertically stacked one below the other. LIGO uses such pendulums to isolate its mirrors from seismic vibrations. Gravitational Waves and Seismic Vibrations have overlaps in frequencies.
He encouraged the audience to make a quadruple pendulum using washers and strings to see for themselves how they worked. We took up this challenge and planned an experiment around it. The best way to learn science is by doing an experiment.
We made a quadruple pendulum and added accelerometers to it, to get change in motion data at each stage. After the experiment, it became clear to us how the quadruple pendulum works and why it is used in LIGO.
Check our experiment and data:
https://hotpoprobot.com/2019/04/07/ligo/
In his lecture talked about quadruple pendulums or four pendulums vertically stacked one below the other. LIGO uses such pendulums to isolate its mirrors from seismic vibrations. Gravitational Waves and Seismic Vibrations have overlaps in frequencies.
He encouraged the audience to make a quadruple pendulum using washers and strings to see for themselves how they worked. We took up this challenge and planned an experiment around it. The best way to learn science is by doing an experiment.
We made a quadruple pendulum and added accelerometers to it, to get change in motion data at each stage. After the experiment, it became clear to us how the quadruple pendulum works and why it is used in LIGO.
Check our experiment and data:
https://hotpoprobot.com/2019/04/07/ligo/
