Sagnac Effect
In the context of aerospace engineering, the Sagnac Effect refers to the phenomenon in which the phase difference between two light beams traveling in opposite directions around a closed loop (such as a fiber-optic gyro) depends on the rotation of the system. This effect is named after French physicist Georges Sagnac who first demonstrated it in 1913. In aerospace engineering, the Sagnac Effect is primarily used in the design and operation of gyroscopes, particularly fiber-optic gyroscopes, which are used for navigation and control in various aerospace vehicles. These gyroscopes measure the angular rate of an aircraft by detecting the phase difference caused by the Sagnac Effect. The Sagnac Effect is also significant in the field of satellite navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), where it is necessary to take into account the rotation of the Earth when calculating the precise position of a receiver on the Earth's surface.
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