UK team uses lasers to probe Big Ben’s bong

The group, from the University of Leicester’s Department of Engineering used a measurement technique called ‘laser Doppler vibrometry’ to measure four of Big Ben’s chimes, taking place at 9AM, 10AM, 11AM and 12 noon.

This involved creating a 3D computer model of Big Ben and then using lasers to map the vibrations in the metal of the bell as it chimed.

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Using two scanning laser Doppler vibrometers, the team were able to characterise Big Ben without touching it providing high-density vibration measurements without any loss of accuracy or precision.

The findings of the mapping project will be revealed during a BBC documentary entitled ‘Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics’, which will be broadcast at 9:00PM on Thursday 2 March on BBC4.

According to the research team, Big Ben is thicker than other bells of a similar size, weighing more and as a result having a higher pitch than expected for its diameter.