English Posts

Abstract : in the cover image the homebuilt TEA nitrogen laser in use at PhyscsOpenLab. The entire laser is ‘open air’ and is built into an aluminum / iron chassis with brass electrodes. The triggering spark gap is visible in the right side while the transverse discharge along the electrodes …

Abstract : in this post we aim to examine the possibility of using the BPX61 photodiode as an alpha and beta particle detector. In order to allow sensitivity to alpha particles, it is necessary to remove the protective glass in order to leave the underlying silicon chip exposed. The alpha …

Abstract : in this post we describe the construction and testing of the “DIY Particle Detector” developed at the CERN S’Cool LAB. It is a detector based on the BPX61 photodiode (mainly for alpha particles) and on the BPW34 photodiode (mainly for beta particles). The detector uses easily available and …

Abstract : ruby has a red spectacular fluorescence under violet or blue-green radiations with a doublet spectrum at 692.80 and 694.30 nm, which appears as a single line. In this post we study the fluorescence of ruby ​​and in particular its lifetime. We show that interesting results can easily be …

Abstract : with the same setup used for the Michelson-Morley interferometer we made the Mach-Zehnder configuration. The purpose of this post is the description of the construction of the apparatus and its use for simple interferometry experiments. Introduction The Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a type of beam division interferometer, consisting of …

Abstract : the purpose of this post is to describe the construction of a simple “amateur” Michelson-Morley interferometer. The Michelson-Morley interferometer has a place of absolute importance in the history of physics, having been used in the famous experiments carried out to demonstrate the existence of the ether. It is …

Abstract : in this post we examine a solid state radiation detector. It is a silicon structure that follows the PIN diode scheme and is optimized for the detection of gamma radiation. After a brief introduction on the PIN structure technology, we go on to describe the front-end electronics used …

Abstract : in this Post we show an example of the use of the ESP32 module (with the ESP-WROOM-32 development board) for the remote acquisition of an analog signal. The ESP32 module natively offers support for WiFi and a series of GPIO, both digital and analog, also boasts a very …

Abstract : in this post we present a system for monitoring sudden ionospheric disturbances (SID) events. As is well known, SID events are caused by the impact with the ionosphere of solar radiation emitted during solar flares. Monitoring SID events is therefore an indirect way to monitor solar activity. SID …

Abstract : in this Post we describe the construction and tuning of a magnetic loop antenna whose purpose is reception in the VLF band, to be coupled with a suitable VLF receiver for monitoring SID events (sudden ionospheric disturbances) caused by solar flares. Introduction From the theory of electromagnetism we …

Abstract : this Post presents the construction of an apparatus for the study of heat conduction. After a theoretical premise in which the Fourier law and the heat equation are mentioned, the apparatus is described and some examples of its application are reported. In particular, the case of the transmission …

Abstract : in this post we describe a simple experiment aimed at demonstrating the photoacoustic effect. The experiment is within the reach of any school laboratory and uses easily available materials. The photoacoustic cell consists of a simple plastic test tube, closed at one end by a preamplified microphone and …

Abstract : in this Post we show how, by using an easily available liquid crystal cell by disassembling low cost equipment, it is possible to create an electro-optical modulator based on the polarization of light. Then we characterized our DIY modulator by carrying out transmittance, polarization and response speed measurements. …

Abstract : the quantum effects on physical processes become evident only when the dimensional scale of the process we are studying becomes comparable to the De Broglie wavelength λ = h/m*v where m and v are the mass and speed of the material particle. This dimensional quantity marks the “border” between …

Abstract : In the previous post Using LED as Single Photon Detector we described how a simple LED can be used as a single photon detector (SPAD), now let’s try to make its technical characterization. Instrumentation To verify the operation of the LED as a single photon detector we used …