Upgrade of Introductory Physics Optics Laboratory

该项目旨在改善和提升圣玛丽大学物理系学生的光学实验体验，使我们的学生能够测量光的强度和偏振以及光的几何性质，使用激光和干涉仪并执行一些二维图像处理。对于我们的学生来说，在大学水平上亲身体验现代设备尤其重要，他们中的大多数是少数族裔西语裔美国人，他们来自高中，物理课程有限，实验室设备简陋。目前之所以选择光学进行改进，是因为物理实验室课程的其他部分在过去几年中得到了一些更新和改进。购买的设备包括八个光学系统，每个系统都有激光和干涉仪，为研究光的传统性质提供了手段。研制了一套用于演示三厘米波段光学现象的微波装置。386SX计算机使我们的学生能够探索自动数据收集和在线数据分析，以及进行图像处理。获得的仪器使这些学生能够在一定程度上进行实验，提高他们对物理科学的兴趣，并鼓励他们参与超出入门水平的科学。

This project is to improve and upgrade the optics laboratory experiences for physics students at St. Mary's University by enabling our students to measure intensity and polarization in addition to the geometrical properties of light, work with lasers and interferometers and perform some two-dimensional image processing. Hands-on experience with modern equipment at the college level is particularly important for our students, a predominant percentage of whom are minority Hispanics who come from high schools having limited physics courses with poorly equipped laboratories. Optics has been chosen for improvement at this time because other parts of the physics laboratory curriculum have received some update and improvement during the past several years. The equipment purchased includes eight optics systems, each with laser and interferometer, provide the means to study traditional properties of light. A microwave set has been obtained to demonstrate optical phenomenon with three cm waves. The 386 SX computers equip our students to explore automatic data collection and online data analysis as well as to perform image processing. The instruments acquired allow these students to perform experiments at a level that increases their interest in physical science and encourages participation in science beyond the introductory level.