Speaker
Description
Past measurements performed by our group on a macroscopic mechanical oscillator subject to a thermal gradient/heat flow have found increased mechanical thermal noise levels with respect to what is calculated from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, even assuming equilibrium at the highest temperature present in the system.
We have recently upgraded the experimental facility with an optical interferometric readout meant to provide a reliable calibration and to allow us to explore a wider range of thermal gradients.
While some of the recent measurements seem to confirm and strengthen past results, others are not consistent with an increased thermal noise, and leave some as yet unanswered mystery about our results. We will report on these findings and on the efforts to explain the somewhat conflicting results.
