Record

RefNoMS/603/10/98
Previous numbers1870
LevelItem
TitleLetter from G [George] Johnstone Stoney, 14 Elgin Road, Dublin, to [Joseph] Larmor
CreatorStoney; George Johnstone (1826-1911); Irish physicist
RecipientLarmor; Sir Joseph (1857-1942); Irish theoretical physicist
Date30 June 1902
DescriptionStoney is at his brother's house, attending the commencement of T.C.D. [Trinity College Dublin]. He thinks that Larmor's analysis does not grapple with the real problem, with light of a certain wavelength emitted by a single puncture of the source furnishing a blur on the grating, extending across it. Stoney gives more detail, including three figures of slit images. To be explained is how all puncta from the same source produce a poor image, but the co-existence of these furnishes a finely defined image. He notes Larmor's conclusion, but both this and Stoney's experiments from a year ago fail to explain the new phenomenon. They yield to the new method of resolving light into component undulations of flat wavelengths. Stoney kept his exhibit going to the end of the conversazione in the hope that Larmor could visit it ['Experiments exhibiting interference between portions of light from independent sources']. He only left the display briefly, to see Ramsay's aurora line, leaving one of his daughters in charge. He notes the award of theK.C.B. to [William] Ramsay for his 'splendid discoveries'.
Extent8p.
FormatManuscript
PhysicalDescriptionInk on paper
AccessStatusOpen
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