Re: [Phys-l] Electron vs. Alpha particle...

[curtis osterhoudt <flutzpah@yahoo.com>]

I'd like to clarify: So far as I know, the Poisson (Arago, Fresnel) bright spot 
has little-to-no relation with the optical "glory", which is what people are 
seeing when mountain-climbing or flying. 


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________________________________
From: Hugh Haskell <haskellh@verizon.net>
To: betwys1@sbcglobal.net; Forum for Physics Educators 
<phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 1:58:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Electron vs. Alpha particle...

At 14:11 -0600 01/17/2011, brian whatcott wrote:

>  I see the bright spot
> quite often on the ground when flying under a high Sun.

It's also pretty easy to reproduce in the classroom. Put a diverging 
lens in front of a laser and put a round-headed map tack (I usually 
support it by sticking it in an art gum eraser) between the lens and 
the wall so that it casts a reasonably large shadow on the wall. Then 
if you turn out the lights, you can see the Poisson spot quite 
easily. It is pretty bright.

Hugh
-- 

Hugh Haskell
mailto:hugh@ieer.org
mailto:haskellh@verizon.net

It isn't easy being green.

        --Kermit Lagrenouille
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