Optical theory of chromatic emulsions and of the Christiansen experiment

Abstract

A theory of the optical phenomena exhibited by chromatic emulsions as also those observed in the Christiansen experiment, has been worked out, de novo, on the basis of the diffraction of light by a sphere immersed in a medium of nearly the same refractive index. Expressions are derived both for the intensity of the transmitted light, and of the light diffracted in other directions. These are discussed in relation to the intensity and the spectral nature of the light and it is shown that the theory can satisfactorily account for the various phenomena observed by Sethi and Sogani.