Patterns of light : chasing the spectrum from Aristotle to LEDs

Cover......Page 1
Patterns of Light......Page 4
ISBN 9780387751061......Page 5
Preface......Page 10
Contents......Page 12
1.1 The Straight and Narrow......Page 17
1.2 The Fastest Thing Around......Page 19
1.3 Standing in the Shadows......Page 21
1.4 The Reversible Path of Light......Page 23
1.5 The World through a Hole......Page 24
1.6 A Room with a View......Page 26
2.1 Reflections on the Past......Page 29
2.2 All Things Equal......Page 31
2.3 From the Looking Glass......Page 32
2.4 The Curved Mirror......Page 35
2.5 Shaving and a Spoon......Page 36
2.6 The Rough Edges......Page 38
3.1 A Race to Capture Light......Page 41
3.2 Tripping the Light Fantastic......Page 42
3.3 It’s all in the Reflection......Page 45
4.2 Altering the Speed of Light......Page 49
4.3 The Light Brigade......Page 52
4.4 The Properties of Waves......Page 54
4.5 On the Beach......Page 56
4.6 The Law of Refraction......Page 58
4.7 The Refractive Index......Page 59
4.8 Total Internal Reflection......Page 61
4.9 Diffraction: Newton’s Mistake......Page 62
5.1 Viewing the Unknown......Page 65
5.2 The Focal Length......Page 66
5.3 Of Objects, Images, and Burning Glasses......Page 68
5.4 Burning Glasses......Page 69
5.5 Measuring Magnification......Page 71
5.6 The Compound Microscope......Page 73
5.7 A New Microscope......Page 75
5.8 Inside the SEM......Page 78
5.9 Optical versus Electron Microscopy......Page 80
5.10 Seeing the Distant......Page 82
5.11 Imperfect Light......Page 83
5.12 The Most Advanced Camera......Page 85
5.13 Still an Imperfect Camera......Page 87
6.2 Waves, Rebounding......Page 91
6.3 Waves, Unfolding......Page 94
6.4 Photons, Reflecting......Page 96
6.5 The Color of Objects......Page 98
6.6 Sources of Light......Page 99
6.7 Replacing Edison......Page 101
6.8 Revolution in White Light Sources......Page 102
6.9 Tricking Photons with Lasers......Page 103
6.10 Structural Color......Page 104
6.11 The Eye and Color Sensation......Page 105
7.2 Wave Interference......Page 107
7.3 Young’s Interference......Page 109
7.4 Color from Interference......Page 110
7.5 Soap Bubbles......Page 111
7.6 Oil Slicks and Lens Coatings......Page 112
7.8 Birds of a Feather......Page 115
7.9 Diffraction......Page 116
7.10 Diffraction Gratings......Page 117
8.2 The Pot of Gold......Page 119
8.3 A Rainbow by Hand......Page 121
8.4 The Antisolar Point......Page 122
8.5 Rainbows in 3D......Page 124
8.6 The Double Rainbow......Page 125
8.7 The Light inside a Rainbow......Page 128
8.8 Rainbows Far Afield......Page 129
9.2 The Color of Sky......Page 131
9.3 The Color of Sea......Page 132
9.4 The Color of Smoke......Page 134
9.5 White Clouds and Smoke......Page 135
9.6 Salt with your Beer?......Page 138
9.7 The Remains of the Day......Page 139
9.9 Beyond the Horizon......Page 141
9.10 An Oasis in the Sahara (or the Arctic)......Page 143
9.11 Sundogs and Halos......Page 145
10.1 Sunglasses......Page 147
10.2 Polarized Light......Page 148
10.3 Polarization by Reflection......Page 149
10.4 Polarization by Scattering......Page 150
10.5 Polarization by Absorption......Page 151
10.6 Calcite and Double Refraction......Page 152
10.7 Polarization and the Eye......Page 154
11.2 Packets of Energy......Page 155
11.3 The Electron......Page 156
11.5 Light and Electrons......Page 158
11.6 Electrons and the Spectrum......Page 159
11.7 X-ray Energies......Page 161
11.8 Characteristic X-rays......Page 162
12.1 Beyond the Visible......Page 163
12.2.1 Infrared (IR) Radiation......Page 164
12.2.3 X-radiation (X-rays)......Page 165
12.4 X-ray Absorption......Page 168
12.5 Fluorescence with Ultraviolet Light......Page 169
12.7 Infrared Space Exploration......Page 170
13.1 The Moon......Page 173
13.3 X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)......Page 174
13.4 Electron Microprobe and Electron Dispersive\rSpectrometry (EDS)......Page 176
13.5 Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE)......Page 178
Glossary......Page 181
References......Page 201
Index......Page 203