/Calculating-the-Hubble-Constant

A 1st year computing project for the undergraduate physics course at Imperial College London.

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Calculating-the-Hubble-Constant

  • A 1st year computing project for the undergraduate physics course at Imperial College London.
  • Two real data sets (distances of planets from Earth and their Hydrogen spectral intensities) were given.
  • Mean observed frequency for each planet (25 planets in total) was determined by plotting the spectral intensity (arbitrary units) against the observed frequency range (Hz), generating a linear gaussian fit, and finding the mean frequency of the Gaussian.
  • The mean red shift velocity of each planet was calculated from its mean frequency value.
  • The Hubble constant was determined by interpolating the slope of the graph of red shift velocity vs. distance from Earth.

Result:

  • Experimental Hubble constant = 77 +/- 5 km/sMpc.
  • Accepted value is roughly 72 km s^-1 Mpc^-1