Project Overview
Studies of the optical patterns of gravitational lensing
Department(s)
Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Astrophysical observations of gravitational lensing (Einstein rings and arcs) are not sensitive to the wave aspects of the phenomenon. In this project where we simulate gravitational lensing in the laboratory by imparting gravitational deflections to a laser beam using using an electro-optical device- a spatial light modulator (SLM) and optical hardware to image the patterns. This work unique in its kind. The work is hands-on in setting up optical components, and computational, in programming the SLM, and in analyzing images of light patterns. The student will be involved in all of these aspects.
Student Qualifications
Physics major
Number of Student Researchers
1 student
Project Length
8 weeks