Looking for a project for modern physics class

[egetunc]

For my modern physics course our group(3 people) need a project to build in 12 week,(so not short, 2-3hours work for each person per week) Our topics are:

1. Relativity
2. Waves and Particles I
3. Waves and Particles II
4. Bound States: Simple Cases
5. Unbound States: Obstacles, Tunneling and Particle-Wave Propagation
6. Quantum Mechanics in Three Dimensions and The Hydrogen Atom
7. Spin and Atomic Physics
8. Statistical Mechanics
9. Particle and Nuclear Physics and Cosmology

So i need some ideas for a long term project. The duration includes everything(calculations, writing the reports and proposals etc.)

 

[berkeman]

What are your thoughts so far? What kind of a project would interest you and your other 2 partners?

 

[egetunc]

Well, we tried to make a cloud chamber to observe muons and also some radioactive particles, but the instructor said that in previous years lots of people did it and don't do it. I'm curious about special/general relativity, nuclear physics and cosmology. Also the assistants emphasize that it's enough to build a project uses the physics laws in these topics. So we don't need to make an experiment to prove/reprove something.

 

[Fred Wright]

Just a thought, DIY M-M interferometer. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aVFB_5pSccNWCGwAeTJxCPVgNYKgSqCn/view

Peace,
Fred

 

[lekh2003]

How about replicating Young's double slit experiment. Show how detectors can collapse the wave function of electrons, photon, etc. Use one electron/photon at a time and see the wave being set off.

I don't exactly know if this is what your course expects of you. I would expect you would need to do significantly more, but here's an idea.

 

[robphy]

Try some computation
For example...
https://www.wired.com/2016/03/can-solve-quantum-mechanics-classic-particle-box-problem-code/

 

[vanhees71]

How about replicating Young's double slit experiment. Show how detectors can collapse the wave function of electrons, photon, etc. Use one electron/photon at a time and see the wave being set off.

I don't exactly know if this is what your course expects of you. I would expect you would need to do significantly more, but here's an idea.

Well, hopefully you are a bit more critical vs. the idea of "wave-function collapse" than suggested here. It's problematic to use, to say the least.

If the project must be to build up a real experiment, it's not so simple to make single-photon sources. I don't know, how much such a setup would cost. The nowadays standard is to use a sufficiently laser and some appropriate crystal like a BBO crystal to use parametric down-conversion for creating (heralded) single-photon states. Then you also need some photodetector too.

 

[ZapperZ]

Well, we tried to make a cloud chamber to observe muons and also some radioactive particles, but the instructor said that in previous years lots of people did it and don't do it. I'm curious about special/general relativity, nuclear physics and cosmology. Also the assistants emphasize that it's enough to build a project uses the physics laws in these topics. So we don't need to make an experiment to prove/reprove something.

Use LEDs to find the value of Planck's constant.

http://www.scienceinschool.org/2014/issue28/planck

Zz.

 

[lekh2003]

Well, hopefully you are a bit more critical vs. the idea of "wave-function collapse" than suggested here. It's problematic to use, to say the least.

If the project must be to build up a real experiment, it's not so simple to make single-photon sources. I don't know, how much such a setup would cost. The nowadays standard is to use a sufficiently laser and some appropriate crystal like a BBO crystal to use parametric down-conversion for creating (heralded) single-photon states. Then you also need some photodetector too.

Yes, I never thought about the cost. These modern physics machines must be immensely expensive.

I am also wary of my usage of the wave function. I'll try to refrain.

 

[egetunc]

We decided to build an interferometer to simulate ligo experiment, it is a great idea since its background on general relativity, light interference, waves etc. Thus, related to our such topics. Thanks for all suggetions

 

[vanhees71]

Maybe you post about your result here in the forums :-)). In any case have fun with the physics!

 

[egetunc]

why not! after 12weeks we may share some videos and basic presentation

 

[robphy]

We decided to build an interferometer to simulate ligo experiment, it is a great idea since its background on general relativity, light interference, waves etc. Thus, related to our such topics. Thanks for all suggetions

(start at 3m45 for an interferometer... then go to 5m30s)