Newtons Lichtwelle
Original-Zitat
Basiswissen
Isaac Newton beschreibt wie sich Wasserwellen konzentrisch ausbreiten. Er postuliert ein analoges Verhalten auch für Schall und Licht. Hier ist ein Original-Zitat dazu aus Newtons Opticks aus dem Jahr 1704:
Original-Zitat
„Qu. 17. If a stone be thrown into stagnating Water, [Pg 348] the Waves excited thereby continue some time to arise in the place where the Stone fell into the Water, and are propagated from thence in concentrick Circles upon the Surface of the Water to great distances. And the Vibrations or Tremors excited in the Air by percussion, continue a little time to move from the place of percussion in concentrick Spheres to great distances. And in like manner, when a Ray of Light falls upon the Surface of any pellucid Body, and is there refracted or reflected, may not Waves of Vibrations, or Tremors, be thereby excited in the refracting or reflecting Medium at the point of Incidence, and continue to arise there, and to be propagated from thence as long as they continue to arise and be propagated, when they are excited in the bottom of the Eye by the Pressure or Motion of the Finger, or by the Light which comes from the Coal of Fire in the Experiments above-mention'd? and are not these Vibrations propagated from the point of Incidence to great distances? And do they not overtake the Rays of Light, and by overtaking them successively, do they not put them into the Fits of easy Reflexion and easy Transmission described above? For if the Rays endeavour to recede from the densest part of the Vibration, they may be alternately accelerated and retarded by the Vibrations overtaking them.“[1]
Newtons Wellen haben Frequenzen
„Do not several sorts of Rays make vibrations of several bignesses, which according to their bignesses excite sensations of several colours, much after the manner that the vibrations of the air, according to their several bignesses excite sensations of several sounds? And particularly, do not the most refrangible rays excite the shortest vibrations for making a sensation of deep violet, the least refrangible the largest for making a sensation of deep red, and the several intermediate sorts of rays, vibrations of several intermediate bignesses to make sensations of the several intermediate colours?“[2]
Newtons Wellen sind polarisiert
„Every ray of light has therefore two opposite sides… And since the Crystal by this Disposition or Virtue does not act upon the Rays, unless when one of their Sides of unusual Refraction looks towards that Coast, this argues a Virtue or Disposition in those Sides of the Rays, which answers to, and sympathizes with that Virtue or Disposition of the Crystal, as the Poles of two Magnets answer to one another.“[3]
Fußnoten
- [1] Isaac Newton: Opticks. First published in 1704: The Third Book of Opticks Part I. Question 17. Page 348.
- [2] Isaac Newton: Opticks. First published in 1704: The Third Book of Opticks Part I. Question 13. Page 345.
- [3] Isaac Newton: Opticks. First published in 1704: The Third Book of Opticks Part I. Pages 361 to 374.
Anmerkung
Der Italiener Francesco Maria Grimaldi hatte 1665 ein Buch über Optik veröffentlicht. Dort ist Licht bereits als Welle beschrieben. Newton wusste von dem Buch und er erwähnte Grimaldi auch namentlich in seinen Opticks. Mehr zu Grimaldis Buch unter De Lumine, coloribus, et iride ↗
