Learning outcomes

• recognise and demonstrate the application of a wide range of physics modules to any physical concept
• recall the relative frequencies or wavelengths of the various regions in the electromagnetic spectrum
• appreciate the application of the various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in everyday life.

Brief description

Content

The Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Propagation of electromagnetic energy - the wave and photon picture.

a) optical spectrum
Sources of visible light.
The LASER and the special properties of laser light
Types of laser with some practical demonstrations of argon ion and semiconductor systems.
The coherence of light.
Use of coherence properties of lasers - speckle phenomena and holography.
Optical waveguiding - optical fibres, integrated optics and the route to optical computers.
Introduction to geometrical optics.

b) high energy electromagnetic spectrum (x-rays and gamma-rays)
properties of x-rays and gamma-rays (energy, wavelength, ionisation, attenuation)
production of x-rays (x-ray tubes, synchrotron radiation)
production of gamma-rays (radioactive decay, annihilation)
detection of x-rays and gamma-rays (gas ionisation and solid state detectors)
application of x-rays and gamma-rays (diffraction, spectroscopy, imaging,
radio-therapy)

c) Infra-red spectrum
Sources of infra-red radiation
Detectors of infra-red radiation
Thermal imaging

d) radio spectrum
radio transmission, modulation and demodulation
radio astronomy   
radio sources in the universe

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