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THERMAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Thermal Expansion

Thermal Conductivity

Michelson Interferometer

A color CCD camera and video monitor are used to display the interference pattern produced by a Michelson interferometer illuminated by a sodium vapor lamp. The concentric ring pattern, shown in the photo on the right, results when the mirrors in the two arms of the interferometer are carefully aligned such that their normals are parallel to their respective beam paths. Changing the length of one of the beam paths will then cause interference rings to appear from or disappear into the center of the pattern. If the mirrors are slightly misaligned, the image changes from concentric rings to more or less straight fringes, which move across the filed of view as the length of the beam path is changed. By counting the number of fringes which pass a given point in the field of view, and measuring the change in path length, the average wavelength of the sodium D-lines (589.3 nm) can be determined.

Michelson Interferometer
Michelson Interferometer