Investigations of the scattering of light

Abstract

Prof. C. G. Darwin, in his interesting account in Nature of Oct. 20, 1928 (p. 630), makes a reference to recent work on the scattering of light. It appears desirable in this connexion to point out that the existence in the light scattered by liquids and solids of radiations of modified wave-length was established so early as 1923 by investigations made at Calcutta. Dr. K. R. Ramanathan showed (Proc. Ind. Assn. Sc., vol. 8, p. 190; 1923) that when violet rays pass through carefully purified water or alcohol there is an appreciable quantity of radiations in the green region of the spectrum present in the scattered light. Further studies of the effect in other substances are described by Mr. K. S. Krishnan in the Phil. Mag. for October 1925 and by me in Jour. Opt. Soc. Am. for October 1927. These investigations were of course well known to workers in this field.