Light and Optics Book

Preface     xi
Acknowledgments     xiii
Introduction     xv
Light: Illuminating the Universe     1
Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum     2
Frequency and Wavelength     4
Waves and Particles     6
Solar Radiation     10
Light from the Stars     12
Absorption and Emission Spectrum     15
Redshift and the Expanding Universe     17
The Doppler Effect     18
Optics: Imaging the Universe     21
Lenses and Mirrors     22
Laws of Reflection and Refraction     26
Human Vision     31
Seeing 3-D: Stereoscopic Vision     33
Correcting Faulty Vision     36
Mirages and Illusions     39
Microscopes and Telescopes     42
Cameras and Photography     47
Colors     51
Color Vision     51
Wavelength and Color     54
Rainbows     56
Blue Skies, Red Sunsets     57
Oil Slicks and Soap Bubbles     59
Color Printing     60
Lasers     63
Measuring the Distance to the Moon     64
LightAmplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation     66
The Lasers in CDs and DVDs     70
Fiber Optics     71
Holography     75
Star Wars: The Strategic Defense Initiative     77
Traveling by Laser     81
Light's Service to Life and Medicine     84
Glowing in the Dark     85
Luciferase-An Illuminating Enzyme     86
Turning Light into Food     88
Biological Clocks and Light     89
Finding Prey in the Dark     91
Laser Surgery     92
Seeing through Skin     93
Future Medical Uses of Light     95
Electromagnetic Radiation and the Universe     97
Radio Waves     98
Radio Astronomy-Viewing the Universe with Radio     99
Microwaves     103
Infrared and Ultraviolet     106
X-rays and Gamma Rays     109
Communicating with Electromagnetic Radiation     113
Antennas and Broadcasting     114
Maxwell's Equations     115
Radio and Television     118
Cell Phones     122
Expanding the Visual Horizon     126
Searching with Light     127
Finding Objects and Catching Speeders with Radar     131
Transverse Waves and Polarization     133
Seeing through Walls with Terahertz     138
Energy from the Sun     140
Capturing the Energy of the Sun     141
Solar-Energy-Powered Spacecraft and Probes     143
Conclusion     146
SI Units and Conversions     149
Glossary     152
Further Reading and Web Sites     157
Index     161