High-Speed Optical Diagnostics of a Supersonic Ping-Pong Cannon

The traditional ping-pong cannon (PPC) is an educational apparatus that launches a ping-pong ball down an evacuated pipe to nearly sonic speeds using atmospheric pressure alone. The SSPPC, an augmented version of the PPC, achieves supersonic speeds by accelerating the ball with greater than atmospheric pressure. We provide instructions for the construction and utilization of an optimized PPC and SSPPC. Optical diagnostics are implemented for the purpose of investigating the cannon dynamics. A HeNe laser that is sent through two acrylic windows near the exit of the pipe is terminated on a photoreceiver sensor. A microprocessor measures the time that the beam is obstructed by the ping-pong ball to automatically calculate the ball's velocity. The results are immediately presented on an LCD display. An optical knife-edge setup provides a highly sensitive means of detecting shock waves by cutting off a fraction of the HeNe beam at the sensor. Shock waves cause refraction-induced deflections of the beam, which are observed as small voltage spikes in the electrical signal from the photoreceiver. The methods presented are highly reproducible and offer the opportunity for further investigation in a laboratory setting.