Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- On the Effect of the Internal Friction of Fluids on the Motion of Pendulums
- PART I Analytical Investigation
- PART II Comparison of Theory and Experiment
- An Examination of the possible effect of the Radiation of Heat on the Propagation of Sound
- On the Colours of Thick Plates
- On a new Elliptic Analyser
- On the Conduction of Heat in Crystals
- On the Total Intensity of Interfering Light
- On the Composition and Resolution of Streams of Polarized Light from different Sources
- Abstract of a paper “On the Change of Refrangibility of Light”
- On the Change of Refrangibility of Light
- Index
- Plate
On the Composition and Resolution of Streams of Polarized Light from different Sources
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- On the Effect of the Internal Friction of Fluids on the Motion of Pendulums
- PART I Analytical Investigation
- PART II Comparison of Theory and Experiment
- An Examination of the possible effect of the Radiation of Heat on the Propagation of Sound
- On the Colours of Thick Plates
- On a new Elliptic Analyser
- On the Conduction of Heat in Crystals
- On the Total Intensity of Interfering Light
- On the Composition and Resolution of Streams of Polarized Light from different Sources
- Abstract of a paper “On the Change of Refrangibility of Light”
- On the Change of Refrangibility of Light
- Index
- Plate
Summary
When a stream of polarized light is decomposed into two streams which, after having been modified in a slightly different manner, are reunited, the mixture is found to have acquired properties which are quite distinct from those of the original stream, and give rise to a number of curious and apparently complicated phenomena. These phenomena have now, however, through the labours of Young and Fresnel, been completely reduced to law, and embraced in a theory, the wonderful simplicity of which is such as to bear with it the stamp of truth. But when two polarized streams from different sources mix together, the mixture possesses properties intermediate between those of the original streams, and none of the curious phenomena depending upon the interference of polarized light are manifested. The properties of such mixtures form but an uninviting subject of investigation; and accordingly, though to a certain extent they are obvious, and must have forced themselves upon the attention of all who have paid any special attention to the physical theory of light, they do not seem hitherto to have been studied in detail.
Were the only object of such a study to enable us to calculate with greater facility the results obtained by means of certain complicated combinations, the subject might deservedly be deemed of small importance.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Mathematical and Physical Papers , pp. 233 - 258Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1901
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