A physical model experiment for turning ray study

Several preliminary tests have been conducted to establish the feasibility of a physical model study to record turning ray signals in the laboratory. Clear resin and aluminum powder are used as the model materials. By mixing aluminum powder to clear resin in different proportions, controlled velocities of the materials have been achieved. Without adding any aluminum, the resin has a velocity of 2,525 m/s. By adding aluminum powder, the maximum velocity that can be achieved is 3,320 m/s. For a model of thickness 0.127 meter, the velocity gradient will be 0.5/s, which is adequate to achieve turning rays. Attenuation has also been tested and compared among different materials selected to construct the physical model. It is found that adding aluminum powder into clear resin does not increase attenuation of the mixture. The results from preliminary tests give confidence that a physical model study to detect turning rays is feasible.