George Stokes defines the Stokes parameters of polarization

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Jessica Gossling (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Domains

Optics

Dates

Date of occurrence 1852

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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George Gabriel Stokes, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, published several important papers in 1852 about various aspects of the phenomenon of light radiation. One important advance concerned polarized light, and defined the parameters of the polarization process. He also identified and described how fluorescence works, explaining that some materials, such as fluorspar, convert ulta-violet radiation into the visible spectrum. The resultant process was named 'the Stokes shift' in honour of his discovery.

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72 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "George Stokes defines the Stokes parameters of polarization". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=6308, accessed 20 April 2024.]

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