Detecting Hydrogen in the Milky Way through Spin-flip Transitions
University
Shawnee State University
Major
Natural Science with a Concentration in Physics
Presentation Types
Oral Presentation
Keywords:
Radio Astronomy, Hydrogen Emissions, Milky Way Galaxy
Abstract
We plan to contribute to the mapping of our galaxy by measuring hydrogen emissions with a radio telescope. These hydrogen emissions are radio waves that are emitted from a hydrogen atom when the electron spin changes from up to down. This gives off a radio wave with a wavelength of 21 cm and a frequency of 1420 MHz that reveals to us the location of hydrogen throughout our galaxy. This no longer requires expensive equipment and can be achieved by amateur astronomers, mostly using common parts found in a hardware store, and the rest being readily available online.
Faculty Mentor Name
Timothy Hamilton
Faculty Mentor Title
Professor of Physics
Faculty Mentor Academic Department
Natural Sciences
Recommended Citation
Thornton, Dakota and Ashton, Jacob, "Detecting Hydrogen in the Milky Way through Spin-flip Transitions" (2019). Celebration of Scholarship. 5.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/cos/2019/day1/5
Location
KRI 157
Detecting Hydrogen in the Milky Way through Spin-flip Transitions
KRI 157
We plan to contribute to the mapping of our galaxy by measuring hydrogen emissions with a radio telescope. These hydrogen emissions are radio waves that are emitted from a hydrogen atom when the electron spin changes from up to down. This gives off a radio wave with a wavelength of 21 cm and a frequency of 1420 MHz that reveals to us the location of hydrogen throughout our galaxy. This no longer requires expensive equipment and can be achieved by amateur astronomers, mostly using common parts found in a hardware store, and the rest being readily available online.