Waves and Grains : Reflections on Light and Learning / Mark P. Silverman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Silverman, Mark P., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Physical optics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction: Setting the Agenda

PART ONE: REFRACTION

Chapter 2. Following the Straight and Narrow

Chapter 3. How Deep Is the Ocean? How High Is the Sky? Imaging in Stratified Media

PART TWO: DIFFRACTION AND INTERFERENCE

Chapter 4. Dark Spots-Bright Spots

Chapter 5. Newton's Two-Knife Experiment: The Hyperbolic Enigma

Chapter 6. Young's Two-Slit Experiment with Electrons

Chapter 7. Pursuing the Invisible: Imaging without Lenses

PART THREE: POLARIZATION

Chapter 8. Poles Apart: The Mysteries of Light Polarization

Chapter 9. The State of Light

PART FOUR: REFLECTION AND SCATTERING

Chapter 10. The Grand Synthesis

Chapter 11. New Twists on Reflection

Chapter 12. Through a Glass Brightly: "Fresnel Amplification"

Chapter 13. A Penetrating Look at Scattered Light

PART FIVE: PLAYING WITH WAVES

Chapter 14. Voice of the Dragon

PART SIX: SCIENCE AND LEARNING

Chapter 15. A Heretical Experiment in Teaching Physics

Chapter 16. Why Brazil Nuts Are on Top: Physics and the Art of Writing

Chapter 17. What Does It Take ... ?

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

0-691-18863-7

OCLC:

1076448003