The third lab for the Optical/IR Instrumentation class was focused on cryogenic systems. We had to measure the length contraction of various metal objects after being immersed in liquid nitrogen (T=77Kelvin). Using the length contraction we calculated the coefficient of length contraction. We also modeled the cooling of UVa’s new spectrograph (TripleSpec) by fitting the measured cooling data. Finally, using a small dewar and vacuum system, we measured the temperature in a steel bar as a function of position along the bar and time, while one end of the bar was held at 77K via reservoir of liquid nitrogen. The website below is contains our results, as well as pictures from the lab.
Astr512, Spring 2008: Group Beaton/Fields/Privon/Whelan Lab 3
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