Waves and Grains: Reflections on Light and Learning

Silverman, Mark P.

ISBN 10: 0691027412 / ISBN 13: 9780691027418

Editore: Princeton Univ Pr, Ewing, New Jersey, U.S.A., 1998

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Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: Waves and Grains: Reflections on Light and Learning
• Editore: Princeton Univ Pr, Ewing, New Jersey, U.S.A.
• Data di pubblicazione: 1998
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0691027412
• ISBN 13: 9780691027418
• Rilegatura: Hard Cover
• Condizione: Fine
• Condizione della sovraccoperta: No Jacket
• Cataloghi dei venditori:
  • Science, Math, Natural History

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto

Mark Silverman has seen light perform many wonders. From the marvel of seeing inside cloudy liquids as a result of his own cutting-edge research to reproducing and examining an unusual diffraction pattern first witnessed by Isaac Newton 300 years ago, he has studied aspects of light that have inspired and puzzled humans for hundreds of years. In this book, he draws on his many experiences as an optical and atomic physicist--and on his consummate skills as a teacher and writer about the mysteries of physics--to present a remarkable tour of the world of light. He explores theoretical, experimental, and historical themes, showing a keen eye for curious and neglected corners of the study of light and a fascination with the human side of scientific discovery.

In the course of the book, he covers such questions as how it is possible to achieve magnifications of a millionfold without a single lens or mirror. He asks what all living things have in common that might one day allow the development of a "life-form scanner" like the one in Star Trek. He considers whether more light can reflect from a surface than strikes it, and explores the origin of the strange hyperpolic diffraction pattern Newton originally produced with sunlight and knives. Silverman also discusses his new and ground-breaking experiments to see into murky substances such as fog or blood--a finding with potential applications as diverse as noninvasive medical testing and remote sensing of the environment. His wide-ranging reflections cover virtually all elements of physical optics, including propagation, reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarization, and scattering.

Throughout, Silverman makes extensive reference to both modern research and the original works of giants such as Newton, Fresnel, and Maxwell. In a more personal section about physics and learning, Silverman argues for self-directed learning and discusses the central importance of stimulating scientific curiosity in students. Waves and Grains will encourage a spirit of wonder and inquiry in anyone with scientific interests.

Contenuti

	Preface
Ch. 1	Introduction: Setting the Agenda	3
Pt. 1	Refraction	7
Ch. 2	Following the Straight and Narrow	9
Ch. 3	How Deep Is the Ocean? How High Is the Sky? Imaging in Stratified Media	17
Pt. 2	Diffraction and Interference	33
Ch. 4	Dark Spots - Bright Spots	35
Ch. 5	Newton's Two-Knife Experiment: The Hyperbolic Enigma	45
Ch. 6	Young's Two-Slit Experiment with Electrons	77
Ch. 7	Pursuing the Invisible: Imaging without Lenses	97
Pt. 3	Polarization	141
Ch. 8	Poles Apart: The Mysteries of Light Polarization	143
Ch. 9	The State of Light	153
Pt. 4	Reflection and Scattering	197
Ch. 10	The Grand Synthesis	199
Ch. 11	New Twists on Reflection	215
Ch. 12	Through a Glass Brightly: "Fresnel Amplification"	261
Ch. 13	A Penetrating Look at Scattered Light	281
Pt. 5	Playing with Waves	337
Ch. 14	Voice of the Dragon	339
Pt. 6	Science and Learning	355
Ch. 15	A Heretical Experiment in Teaching Physics	357
Ch. 16	Why Brazil Nuts Are on Top: Physics and the Art of Writing	389
Ch. 17	What Does It Take ...?	399
	Index	407