The Speckled Wave Front of Light

Abstract

IN view of Sir J. J. Thomson's suggestion (quoted by Reiche, “Quantentheorie,” p. 25) that the wave front of light may have a speckled structure, it may be asked whether anything peculiar happens when two specks, belonging to different waves, collide. They might, for example, be deviated from their courses. If so, one light wave would cause some scattering of another wave with which it collided, and the direct light in the second wave would be dimmed. This effect, if it exists at all, must be small or it would have been noticed. Evidence as to its existence might be obtained in the following way. The supposed dimming of the second ray would be likely to depend on the angle between it and the first ray. On this supposition the brightness of a star lying on the ecliptic would vary slightly with the angle between it and the sun, as seen from the earth. Russell (Astrophys. Journ., vol. xliii., 1916) has shown that the brightness of the moon does so vary, but that has been explained otherwise.