Introduction2 The principle of spectroscopy....2 The basic equipment......3 Outdoor tests......4 A little bit of theory....

5 Further improvements and testing using a sodium lamp and a 7 million pixels compact camera...6 how to build your own test light-source (mercury vapour lamp)...7 spectrum of a source reflected on a water surface..7 Other information held by a spectrum continuum of a spectrum..7 temperature of the source.8 the Zeeman effect.8 How to build your own spectroscopic bonnette..9 More about the UFO phenomenon .......................10 How to proceed in case of an observation during the observation.10 just after....11 when back to home...11 More about MHD....................11 Conclusion12

Introduction The physical reality of the UFO phenomenon is well established by a variety of visual observations, pictures, radar detections and even ground traces. However, decisive scientific data is still waiting to be collected. Below is an authentic picture of a UFO, taken during the Belgian wave from the end of the 80s to the beginning of the 90s.

Though this picture proves the material reality of the phenomenon, it doesnt provide us with much information about its nature and origin. A very important scientific progress would result from a high quality spectral image, and the present document is intended to show how this becomes possible presently, given the rapidly increasing number of people in the world equipped with digital cameras to which simple, inexpensive dispersive devices can be easily adapted. The principle of spectroscopy Spectroscopy is a well known study method in the world of science. For decades, it has permitted the discovery of the cosmic expansion (known as red shift), the measurement of stars velocities, their chemical composition, mass, temperature, and many other physical parameters such as magnetic or electric fields Since the UFO phenomenon often appears as night lights in bright contrast to a dim night sky, the importance that spectroscopy could play in such circumstances is obvious. This challenge is at the reach of anyone already equipped with a camera, all you'll need is a small expense (about 7 or 10 US$) to purchase a grating, a little bit of theory and some training.

How to get into the world of spectroscopy, how could we analyse the features of a light source? By taking a picture of its spectrum. There a two different ways of getting it: 1. Using a prism: the phenomenon commonly occurs in nature when we observe a rainbow. Each wavelength is related to what we call a colour, the physiological translation of the photons energy received by the eye. 2. Using a diffraction grating, which is a kind of plastic film crossed by a high number of parallel thin lines. We definitively choose this solution, easy to transport and to use. The left picture shows a rainbow: each water drop, among millions, plays the role of a prism.

The basic equipment It simply consists of (i) a diffraction grating and (ii) a digital imaging device. Below is an image of the 530 lines per millimeter diffraction grating we used for our tests. It can be ordered by mail and bought at: JEULIN SA Rue Jacques MONOD ZI N1 NETREUVILLE BP 1900 27019 EVREUX FRANCE http://www.jeulin.fr but similar gratings can also be ordered at: http://www.edmundoptics.com/ a worldwide well-known manufacturer. We recommend a density of about 500 l/mm in any case. Be careful with the grating film: it is fragile, do not touch it with fingers, only handle it by its frame, and keep it away from high temperature and dampness.

The digital camera can be a compact or reflex type, or the imaging device of a mobile phone (with at least 2 million pixels, however). Pictured below: the grating we used for our tests. Always manipulate the grating by its frame. The grating must be aligned parallel to the lens.

Outdoors tests: Outdoors tests Lets now take a picture of a lamp by night, using a white light-tube improperly called neon tube (actually, it contains mercury vapour and a white phosphor, a true neon lamp is emitting red light essentially), which we call hereafter the source. What do we observe? A direct image of the source in the middle of the picture, flanked on both sides by two spectra with opposite dispersive directions of colours or wavelengths. The right side spectrum shows higher intensities and is called order +1, while the one on the left is called order -1. Such a grating is mentioned blazed because a major part of the incident energy is concentrated in one of the orders. Many other orders do exist (-2, -3, 2 and 3...) but we cannot see them in this picture since they lie outside of the field. The direct white image of the source is logically called order 0.

Emission lines in the spectrum

A little bit of theory about the mechanism of line emission in a plasma The collisions induced between electrons and atoms by an electrical current in a gas make atoms get off their steady state to various excited states. When getting back to their steady state, they emit photons with wavelengths characteristic of the atom itself. Hence, the specific signature of any atom can be identified this way. The position and spreading of lines can provide us with much information about the gas contained in the tube, but the recorded spectra need being analysed using specific softwares. Many of them are free and can be downloaded on the web, let us just mention Spectrace, user-friendly for a first discovery of spectroscopy and for deriving your first wavelength calibration curve. It works with JPEG files. Just click on the link below to get into the download page: http://perso.orange.fr/philippe.boeuf/robert/logiciels.htm1 Further improvements of the calibration method Other tests can be performed using a sodium lamp, as commonly used for public lightning. An example is provided by the detailed image of order 2 shown below, together with a diagram showing the distribution of intensity versus wavelength that was derived using another free software, VisualSpec.

This software is aimed at people who just want to make their first step into spectroscopy, just for fun. The quantitative analysis of a spectrum is a highly complicated task requiring the knowledge of a specialist and using specific softwares.

Dark line called absorption line with the sodium doublet at 5890 and 5896

How to build your own test light-source One can also build a personal source, using a small fluorescent tube mounted on a tripod, and fixed with plastic collars.

Spectrum of a source reflected on a water surface The light sources described above have a fairly high brightness, in contrast to most UFO observations reported by night. The low reflectance efficiency of water is an easy means of reducing importantly the intensity of your test light-source and hence getting a more representative simulation. Of course, don't operate by windy conditions!

4358 line Deep Violet

5461 line - Green

Sodium 5780-5791 doublet - Orange

Other information held by a spectrum

Underlying continuum of the source We have mentioned the emission lines as discrete signatures of atoms in a spectrum. Generally, they are superimposed on a continuous (i.e. not resolved) distribution of spectral intensities called the continuous spectrum or continuum. In the present case, it results from the white light emission of a phosphor coating the inner side of the tube.

Temperature of the source In astronomical spectroscopy of stars for example, the distribution of luminosity versus wavelength allows to derive the source temperature thanks to Plancks law. But another way for deriving the temperature of a plasma is based on the ratios of lines intensities, and this applies more specifically to our purpose. The Zeeman effect The Zeeman effect consists in the split of any line into 3 components when a magnetic field is applied to a plasma, the higher the field the higher the split. The diagrams below show a simulation for mercury vapour lines in the optical domain, with representative relative intensities versus wavelength, superimposed on a mock underlying continuum.

The magnetic field is null

Orange doublet not resolved here Green line

Deep violet line Underlying continuum

Wavelength in Angstrom Strong magnetic field : 3 million Gauss

Lines split in 3 components

How to build your own spectroscopic cap or bonnette This is possible for less than 1.5 US $ or 1 with: a piece of plastic tube, such as commonly used at home for water piping a piece of adhesive Velcro strip, to fix the tube on the camera strong glue and adhesive ribbon a piece of adhesive soft foam, for easier handling

Some standard filter-holders can also be ordered (the price is about 10 US$ or 7), they should adapt quite easily to your imaging device and provide better results.

The website URL is: http://www.cokin.com/

More about the UFO phenomenon Of course, the UFO phenomenon cannot be reproduced in the laboratory (!) and the probability of observing an event is quite low statistically. The recent history (officially since 1947, actually by the beginning of World War Two) has taught us that the phenomenon is effectively occurring by waves: many UFOs are observed within a short period of time, say a couple of years, with very few events reported in between. However, given the steeply increasing number of digital imaging devices available in the World, it now appears quite opportune to provide as many people as possible with the grating system described above, so that we can reasonably hope getting a good quality spectrum in the near future. In connection, we are especially indebted to Claude Poher, who managed the French GEPAN (the official French study group for unidentified aerospace phenomena) and first described the principle of the method in a publication of 1983, in association with Franois Louange. In addition to a low probability of observation, it's not obvious in practice to identify a true UFO. Several characteristics of the phenomenon are to be kept in minds: a light source more or less widely spread, moving rapidly but in a very different way an aircraft or any other well known object do, such as stunning accelerations and stopping, tremendous speed, changes in the colour/brightness mostly relating to speed, but without noise or supersonic bang (except rarely). Intelligent behaviours have also been reported: escape, chase, anticipation, squadron flight of a UFO group How to proceed in case of an observation During the observation 1. Equip the camera with the grating (don't panic!) 2. Take as many pictures as possible Immediately after 1. Take one or more pictures with the grating equipped camera, in the same direction as for the observation, so as to record the background sky glow, with the same sensitivity (ISO) and exposure time 2. If the phenomenon has crossed over a large area of the sky, take pictures in the main directions Then immediately write down the time of the observation, an estimate of its duration and your geographic position, based on some easily recognizable points.2 When back to home 1. Use the internet to note the precise local time, also note the time displayed by your watch, write down both values and keep them secure. 2. Take a spectral picture of a mercury and/or a sodium lamp, with strictly the same equipment.3

2 3

To derive the true local time of the event, and then eventually look for a confusion with satellites To calibrate the spectrum using a well known light source.

10

3. Remove the grating and take a picture of a graduated ribbon, it must cross the entire picture preferably in the same position and direction as the recorded spectrum.4 4. Please don't change or alter anything in the pictures, don't reduce any of them5 Save all pictures on a CD or USB key, and send them by email or post them to: UFO Science 83 Avenue dItalie 75013 Paris France http://www.ufo-science.com/ More about MHD Some of the UFO characteristics can be explained by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), the science that allows acting on conductive fluids at a distance using electromagnetic forces, so that analysis of a spectrum would beer a major knowledge on their plasma parameters (see above the Zeeman effect for example), presently ignored or so. The picture below shows high frequency bows produced during MHD experiments in a gas environment designed to annihilate a supersonic shock wave. Such experiments need using a shock tube.

An aircraft based on MHD technology could fly at low altitudes at hypersonic velocities (several times the speed of sound) without any shock wave, hence no supersonic bang would result, which is quite impossible for any conventional aircraft. A similar glowing phenomenon is quite frequently reported for UFO observations by night.

Conclusions
4 5

To derive the imaging system distortion. To avoid a lost of information

11

With the new generation of digital imaging technology now increasingly spreading all around the world, it becomes opportune to keep as many people as possible informed on how using cheap diffraction gratings to collect critical information on the UFO phenomenon. People from every country in the world are kindly invited to participate to this effort, and this document is intended to describe easy ways to proceed. However, it is highly advisable to train oneself on test sources like domestic lamps. The method described here can also be applied to various spectroscopic purposes for the amateur scientist. Useful links: Jean Pierre PETIT web site, retired astrophysicist, also specialized in Fluid Dynamics http://www.jp-petit.org/ And knowledge without frontiers (Savoir sans Frontires) http://www.savoir-sans-frontieres.com/ UFO Science Web site http://www.ufo-science.com/

Jrme FRASSON UFO Science

12