A trillion frames per second

CCIP · 12-13-11, 08:56 PM

This was featured on BBC earlier today, and honestly I found the footage to be mesmerizing:

A special camera imaging system built to produce images at a dizzying one trillion frames per second. That is so slow that light appears as pulses of photons traveling in a line. The video shows a laser pulse traveling through a coke bottle, which at this rate appear as a 'bullet' of light floating through the air.

That is really, really cool. Reminds me of how the speed of light is one of those things that's always hard to imagine - but here it is actually captured

frau kaleun · 12-13-11, 09:15 PM

I'd say something clever but my head just asploded.

Rockstar · 12-13-11, 09:16 PM

Neat, I came here just now ready to paste the same link but you beat me to it.

Here's another from MIT http://web.media.mit.edu/~raskar//trillionfps/

.

Sailor Steve · 12-13-11, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCIP

A special camera imaging system built to produce images at a dizzying one trillion frames per second. That is so slow that light appears as pulses of photons traveling in a line. The video shows a laser pulse traveling through a coke bottle, which at this rate appear as a 'bullet' of light floating through the air.

I'm confused (which is nothing new). I thought from the description given that is was a pulse of photons travelling in a line, and this was the only way they could actually capture it. I also thought that they had to sample it several times to get it to work, and that this meant that it was effectively faked.

CCIP · 12-13-11, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I also thought that they had to sample it several times to get it to work, and that this meant that it was effectively faked.

Basically, yeah. It's not a real 'live video' - it's a composite of several takes of the light only at millions of frames per second, with colors etc. taken from a regular static picture of the bottle. But that's still very impressive.

Sailor Steve · 12-13-11, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCIP

But that's still very impressive.

Oh yeah.

There's no question that, however they're doing it, they're still capturing a picture of light in motion. I mildly mocked the use of the word "sampling", but I also realize that sampled music in the CD world is still real music, and that this is still real light.

Reece · 12-14-11, 12:08 AM

Obviously the burst of light must be slower that the speed of light (including electrons) otherwise how could you have a camera that was taking frames faster!!

Awesome what ever!

Catfish · 12-14-11, 02:47 AM

Strange idea of product placement.

No, i think it's great but can't help of thinking that they staged what they wanted to see, if you look at the experimental setup ?

"We use an indirect 'stroboscopic' method that combines millions of repeated measurements by careful scanning in time and viewpoints"

If you think of light refraction, the frequency of light is indeed changed, so it moves slower in a way through e.g. glass. So there is "slower light". You can think of particle fronts instead of waves like p(ressure)-waves within other media like rock.

Platapus · 12-14-11, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

that this meant that it was effectively faked.

Not faked as there does not appear to be any intent to deceive.

The title of the video is misleading as it is not actually collecting at 1T FPS, it is assembling data, collected over many collections, that represents a frame rate of 1T after extensive processing.

I think it is more a synthetic representation than a fake.

Jimbuna · 12-14-11, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

Not faked as there does not appear to be any intent to deceive.

The title of the video is misleading as it is not actually collecting at 1T FPS, it is assembling data, collected over many collections, that represents a frame rate of 1T after extensive processing.

I think it is more a synthetic representation than a fake.

Looks that way

12-14-11, 07:21 PM

It's fantastic that one could film at that rate.
But physics says you can't capture light at that rate so they do a work around.
Hollywood has been doing that for years.
Maybe even better as far as that goes.
It does bring to mind something I read a long time ago.

If one could focus on a spot and place a camera far enuff away?
One could look back in time.
Of course you'd need a faster then light way to send the signals back to the viewer.

12-13-11, 08:56 PM	#1
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	A trillion frames per second This was featured on BBC earlier today, and honestly I found the footage to be mesmerizing: A special camera imaging system built to produce images at a dizzying one trillion frames per second. That is so slow that light appears as pulses of photons traveling in a line. The video shows a laser pulse traveling through a coke bottle, which at this rate appear as a 'bullet' of light floating through the air. That is really, really cool. Reminds me of how the speed of light is one of those things that's always hard to imagine - but here it is actually captured __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

12-14-11, 12:08 AM	#7
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 34,726 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	Obviously the burst of light must be slower that the speed of light (including electrons) otherwise how could you have a camera that was taking frames faster!! Awesome what ever! __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

12-13-11, 09:15 PM	#2
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	I'd say something clever but my head just asploded.

12-13-11, 09:16 PM	#3
Rockstar In the Brig Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Zendia Bar & Grill Posts: 12,614 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Neat, I came here just now ready to paste the same link but you beat me to it. Here's another from MIT http://web.media.mit.edu/~raskar//trillionfps/ .

12-14-11, 02:47 AM	#8
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,767 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Strange idea of product placement. No, i think it's great but can't help of thinking that they staged what they wanted to see, if you look at the experimental setup ? "We use an indirect 'stroboscopic' method that combines millions of repeated measurements by careful scanning in time and viewpoints" If you think of light refraction, the frequency of light is indeed changed, so it moves slower in a way through e.g. glass. So there is "slower light". You can think of particle fronts instead of waves like p(ressure)-waves within other media like rock.

12-14-11, 07:21 PM	#11
Madox58 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	It's fantastic that one could film at that rate. But physics says you can't capture light at that rate so they do a work around. Hollywood has been doing that for years. Maybe even better as far as that goes. It does bring to mind something I read a long time ago. If one could focus on a spot and place a camera far enuff away? One could look back in time. Of course you'd need a faster then light way to send the signals back to the viewer.