The structure of molecules in relation to their optical anisotropy

Abstract

As is well known, the light scattered transversely when traversing a column of gas or vapour is not completely polarised, the defect of polarisation depending on the nature of the substance. The explanation of this phenomenon as developed by the late Lord Rayleigh, Born, Sir J. J. Thomson and others is that the molecules which scatter the light are optically anisotropic, that is, have different refractivities in different directions, and are oriented arbitrarily in space. From the point of view of dispersion-theory, the interpretation usually given is that the electrons responsible for the refraction of light are anisotropically bound in the molecule.