Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Augustin-Jean Fresnel" - New World
(imported latest version of article from Wikipedia) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | {{ | + | {{Claimed}} |
| + | {{epname}} | ||
| + | [[Image:Afresnel.jpg|thumb|right|Augustin Fresnel]] | ||
| − | + | <<Please add more info about his life and work.>> | |
| − | '''Augustin-Jean Fresnel''' (pronounced [{{IPA|freɪ'nel}}] | + | '''Augustin-Jean Fresnel''' (pronounced [{{IPA|freɪ'nel}}] or ''fray-NELL'' in [[American English]], [{{IPA|fʁɛ'nɛl}}] in [[French language|French]]) (May 10, 1788 – July 14, 1827), was a [[France|French]] [[physics|physicist]] who contributed significantly to the establishment of the theory of [[wave|wave optics]]. Fresnel studied the behavior of light both theoretically and experimentally. |
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| − | Fresnel was the son of an architect, born at [[Broglie, Eure|Broglie]] ([[Eure]]). His early progress in learning was slow, and he still could not read when he was eight years old. At thirteen he entered the École Centrale in [[Caen]], and at sixteen and a half the [[École Polytechnique]], where he acquitted himself with distinction. From there he went to the [[École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées|École des Ponts et Chaussées]]. He served as an engineer successively in the departments of [[Vendée]], [[Drôme]] and [[Ille-et-Vilaine]]; but having supported the [[Bourbon house|Bourbons]] in | + | Fresnel was the son of an architect, born at [[Broglie, Eure|Broglie]] ([[Eure]]). His early progress in learning was slow, and he still could not read when he was eight years old. At thirteen he entered the École Centrale in [[Caen]], and at sixteen and a half the [[École Polytechnique]], where he acquitted himself with distinction. From there he went to the [[École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées|École des Ponts et Chaussées]]. He served as an engineer successively in the departments of [[Vendée]], [[Drôme]] and [[Ille-et-Vilaine]]; but having supported the [[Bourbon house|Bourbons]] in 1814 he lost his appointment on [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon's]] return to power. |
| − | On the second restoration of the monarchy, he obtained a post as engineer in [[Paris]], where much of his life from that time was spent. His researches in optics, continued until his death, appear to have been begun about the year | + | On the second restoration of the monarchy, he obtained a post as engineer in [[Paris]], where much of his life from that time was spent. His researches in optics, continued until his death, appear to have been begun about the year 1814, when he prepared a paper on the [[aberration of light]], which, however, was not published. In 1818 he wrote a memoir on [[diffraction]] for which in the ensuing year he received the prize of the [[French Academy of Sciences|Académie des Sciences]] at Paris. He was in 1823 unanimously elected a member of the academy, and in 1825 he became a member of the [[Royal Society of London]], which in 1827, at the time of his last illness, awarded him the [[Rumford Medal]]. In 1819 he was nominated a commissioner of [[lighthouse]]s, for which he was the first to construct a special type of lens, now called a [[Fresnel lens]], as substitutes for mirrors. He died of [[tuberculosis]] at [[Ville-d'Avray]], near Paris. |
| − | His labours in the cause of optical science received during his lifetime only scant public recognition, and some of his papers were not printed by the Académie des Sciences till many years after his decease. But, as he wrote to Young in | + | His labours in the cause of optical science received during his lifetime only scant public recognition, and some of his papers were not printed by the Académie des Sciences till many years after his decease. But, as he wrote to Young in 1824, in him "that sensibility, or that vanity, which people call love of glory" had been blunted. "All the compliments," he says, "that I have received from [[François Arago|Arago]], [[Pierre Simon, Marquis de Laplace|Laplace]] and [[Jean-Baptiste Biot|Biot]] never gave me so much pleasure as the discovery of a theoretic truth, or the confirmation of a calculation by experiment." |
==Researches== | ==Researches== | ||
| − | His discoveries and mathematical deductions, building on experimental work by [[ | + | His discoveries and mathematical deductions, building on experimental work by [[Thomas Young]], extended the [[Huygens' principle|wave theory]] of [[light]] to a large class of [[optical phenomenon|optical phenomena]]. In 1817, Young had proposed a small transverse component to light, while yet retaining a far larger longitudinal component. Fresnel, by the year 1821, was able to show via mathematical methods that polarization could be explained only if light was ''entirely'' transverse, with no longitudinal vibration whatsoever. |
His use of two plane mirrors of metal, forming with each other an angle of nearly 180°, allowed him to avoid the diffraction effects caused (by the apertures) in the experiment of [[Francesco Maria Grimaldi|FM Grimaldi]] on [[interference]]. This allowed him to conclusively account for the phenomena of interference in accordance with the wave theory. | His use of two plane mirrors of metal, forming with each other an angle of nearly 180°, allowed him to avoid the diffraction effects caused (by the apertures) in the experiment of [[Francesco Maria Grimaldi|FM Grimaldi]] on [[interference]]. This allowed him to conclusively account for the phenomena of interference in accordance with the wave theory. | ||
| − | With [[François Arago]] he studied the laws of the interference of [[polarization|polarized]] rays. He obtained circularly polarized light by means of a rhombus of glass, known as "Fresnel's rhomb" | + | With [[François Arago]] he studied the laws of the interference of [[polarization|polarized]] rays. He obtained circularly polarized light by means of a rhombus of glass, known as "Fresnel's rhomb," having obtuse angles of 126° and acute angles of 54°. |
He is perhaps best known as the inventor of the [[Fresnel lens]], first adopted in [[lighthouse]]s while he was a French commissioner of lighthouses, and found in many applications today. | He is perhaps best known as the inventor of the [[Fresnel lens]], first adopted in [[lighthouse]]s while he was a French commissioner of lighthouses, and found in many applications today. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| + | |||
*[[Fresnel equations]] | *[[Fresnel equations]] | ||
*[[Fresnel diffraction]] | *[[Fresnel diffraction]] | ||
| Line 31: | Line 34: | ||
*[[Fresnel rhomb]] | *[[Fresnel rhomb]] | ||
*[[Fresnel zone]] | *[[Fresnel zone]] | ||
| − | *[[ | + | *[[Zone plate]] |
*[[Fresnel number]] | *[[Fresnel number]] | ||
| − | *[[Aether drag hypothesis | + | *[[Aether drag hypothesis]] |
| + | |||
| + | == References == | ||
| + | <<We need at least 3 reliable references here, properly formatted.>> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| − | |||
* {{MacTutor Biography|id=Fresnel}} | * {{MacTutor Biography|id=Fresnel}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
* {{1911}} | * {{1911}} | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Physical sciences]] |
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Biographies of Scientists and Mathematicians]] |
| − | + | [[Category:Biography]] | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | [[Category: | ||
| − | + | {{credit|130752921}} | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
Revision as of 13:47, 14 May 2007
<<Please add more info about his life and work.>>
Augustin-Jean Fresnel (pronounced [freɪ'nel] or fray-NELL in American English, [fʁɛ'nɛl] in French) (May 10, 1788 – July 14, 1827), was a French physicist who contributed significantly to the establishment of the theory of wave optics. Fresnel studied the behavior of light both theoretically and experimentally.
Biography
Fresnel was the son of an architect, born at Broglie (Eure). His early progress in learning was slow, and he still could not read when he was eight years old. At thirteen he entered the École Centrale in Caen, and at sixteen and a half the École Polytechnique, where he acquitted himself with distinction. From there he went to the École des Ponts et Chaussées. He served as an engineer successively in the departments of Vendée, Drôme and Ille-et-Vilaine; but having supported the Bourbons in 1814 he lost his appointment on Napoleon's return to power.
On the second restoration of the monarchy, he obtained a post as engineer in Paris, where much of his life from that time was spent. His researches in optics, continued until his death, appear to have been begun about the year 1814, when he prepared a paper on the aberration of light, which, however, was not published. In 1818 he wrote a memoir on diffraction for which in the ensuing year he received the prize of the Académie des Sciences at Paris. He was in 1823 unanimously elected a member of the academy, and in 1825 he became a member of the Royal Society of London, which in 1827, at the time of his last illness, awarded him the Rumford Medal. In 1819 he was nominated a commissioner of lighthouses, for which he was the first to construct a special type of lens, now called a Fresnel lens, as substitutes for mirrors. He died of tuberculosis at Ville-d'Avray, near Paris.
His labours in the cause of optical science received during his lifetime only scant public recognition, and some of his papers were not printed by the Académie des Sciences till many years after his decease. But, as he wrote to Young in 1824, in him "that sensibility, or that vanity, which people call love of glory" had been blunted. "All the compliments," he says, "that I have received from Arago, Laplace and Biot never gave me so much pleasure as the discovery of a theoretic truth, or the confirmation of a calculation by experiment."
Researches
His discoveries and mathematical deductions, building on experimental work by Thomas Young, extended the wave theory of light to a large class of optical phenomena. In 1817, Young had proposed a small transverse component to light, while yet retaining a far larger longitudinal component. Fresnel, by the year 1821, was able to show via mathematical methods that polarization could be explained only if light was entirely transverse, with no longitudinal vibration whatsoever.
His use of two plane mirrors of metal, forming with each other an angle of nearly 180°, allowed him to avoid the diffraction effects caused (by the apertures) in the experiment of FM Grimaldi on interference. This allowed him to conclusively account for the phenomena of interference in accordance with the wave theory.
With François Arago he studied the laws of the interference of polarized rays. He obtained circularly polarized light by means of a rhombus of glass, known as "Fresnel's rhomb," having obtuse angles of 126° and acute angles of 54°.
He is perhaps best known as the inventor of the Fresnel lens, first adopted in lighthouses while he was a French commissioner of lighthouses, and found in many applications today.
See also
- Fresnel equations
- Fresnel diffraction
- Fresnel integral
- Fresnel lantern
- Fresnel lens
- Fresnel rhomb
- Fresnel zone
- Zone plate
- Fresnel number
- Aether drag hypothesis
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
<<We need at least 3 reliable references here, properly formatted.>>
External links
- John J. O'Connor and Edmund F. Robertson. Augustin-Jean Fresnel at the MacTutor archive
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
