History of the Principle of Interference of Light

The controversy between the wave theory and the emission theory of light early in the nineteenth century has been a subject of numerous studies. Yet many is sues remain unclear, in particular, the reasons for rejecting Young's theory of light. It appears that further progress in the field requires a better grasp of the overall situation in optics and related subjects at the time and a more thorough study of every factor suggested to be of importance for the dispute. This book is intended to be a step in this direction. It examines the impact of the concept of interference of light on the development of the early nineteenth century optics in general, and the theory of light, in particular. This is not a his tory of the wave theory of light, nor is it a history of the debate on the nature of light in general: it covers only that part of the controversy which involved the concept of interference. Although the book deals with a number of scientists, scientific institutions, and journals, its main character is a scientific concept, the principle of interference. While discussing the reasons for accepting or rejecting this concept I have primarily focused on scientific factors, although in some cases the human factor is examined as well. The book is a revised Ph. D. dissertation (University of Minnesota, 1984) writ ten under Alan E. Shapiro.

Contenu
I Interference historiography and physics.- I.1 The mystery of Young's theory.- I.2 New approach.- I.3 What is Young's wave theory?.- I.4 Interference or superposition?.- I.5 What is the acceptance of a theory?.- II Thomas Young and the problem of intersecting sounds.- Section I: Young.- Section II: Young's predecessors.- III Young on interference of mechanical waves.- III.1 Standing waves.- III.2 Tides.- III.3 Coherence of mechanical waves.- III.4 Response to the concept of interference of sound.- III.5 Summary.- IV Discovery of the principle of interference of light.- IV.1 Optical background.- IV.2 Transition from acoustics to optics.- IV.3 The problem of mathematical representation of light.- IV.4 What is the law of interference?.- IV.5 The principle of interference and the theory of interference.- V Young's theory of interference and its application.- Section I: Interference of reflected and refracted light.- Section II: Interference of diffracted light.- Section III: Young on coherence of light.- VI Response to the principle of interference (18011815).- VI.1 Early comments(18011805):generalsurvey.- VI.2 British reviews of Young's theory(18011805).- VI.3 Later response (18071815).- VI.4 Summary.- VII Fresnel and the principle of interference.- VII.1 First period(18151816).- VII.2 Second period (18161818).- VII.3 Third period (18191822).- VII.4 Summary.- VIII Response to Fresnel's principle of interference.- VIII.1 Arago.- VIII.2 Reception of Fresnel's first paper.- VIII.3 Contest on diffraction.- VIII.4 Response to Fresnel's prize-winning memoir.- VIII.5 Principle of interference and the wave theory.- VIII.6 Principle of interference and the emission theory.- VIII.7 Understanding of coherenceafter Fresnel.- VIII.8 Young's role after 1815.- VIII.9 Summary.- Conclusions.