Oscillations

About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we explore oscillations, focusing in particular on: (i) the example of the simple pendulum; (ii) the exchange between kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy as the pendulum swings back and forth; (iii) using sine and cosine waves to describe oscillating motion; (iv) amplitude and wavelength of oscillations; and (v) displacement, velocity, and acceleration equations and graphs for the oscillating motion of the pendulum.

About the lecturer

Giles Hammond is a Professor of Experimental Gravitational Physics at the University of Glasgow. His research interests focus on the development of fused silica suspension systems for gravitational wave detectors. He has made significant contributions to the development of the monolithic stages of quadruple pendulums used in the process of updating the components used in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) into the experiment now deemed Advanced LIGO (aLIGO). During this process, he led the installation of several suspensions at both the Hanford and Livingston aLIGO sites. This improved precision of aLIGO contributed to the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, which led to the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.