FRESNEL, AUGUSTIN. - EXPOUNDING THE WAVE THEORY OF LIGHT.

Mémoire Sur les couleurs développées dans des Fluides homogènes par la lumière polarisée. (Presenté à l'Academie, le 30 mars 1818) (+) Mémoire sur la Réflexion de la Lumiere. (Presenté à l'Academie, le 15 novembre 1819). (2 Memoirs).

Paris, Victor Masson, 1846. No wrappers as extracted from "Annales de Chimie et de Physique", Tome 17, Troisieme Série. Titlepage to tome 17. Pp. 172-199 a. 1 engraved plate + pp. 316-338, textillustr. Brownspots to titlepage and some browspots to the second memoir.

First editions of two importent memoirs on polarization and reflexion of light by "the founder of the new optics".

The first paper takes on a central role in Fresnel's dealing with polarization in general and specially with chromatioc polarization and the explaining the phenomena that arises when light travels through crystals. The paper was read at the Academy on march 30, was not printed at the time as it disappeared and only turned up many years later, around 1845, when it was found in the papers of Fresnel's brother. "On croyait ou Mémoire perdu. Il a été retrouvé dans les papiers de M. Léonor Fresnel, frère de l'illustre académicien." Thus, the offered paper is here PRINTED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IN ITS FULL LENGHT.

The second paper deals with reflection and explains the different phenomena seen when light is reflected from glassplates having two surfaces parallel or with curvature, interference of reflected waves and the measure of their different wavelenghts, all explained according to the wave theory of light. The paper offered is for the FIRST TIME PRINTED IN ITS FULL LENGHT, as it only appeared in the résumé-form in 1820 "Résumé d'un Mémoire sur la Réflexion de la lumière" (Annales de Chimie et de Physique, tome 15, pp. 379-386).

"As it was, Fresnel succeeded fully in attaining his explicit goal, the establishment of the wave conception of light. Not long after his death scientific opinion definitely shiftedin favor of waves and opened up the pathway leading to the deeper insight of Maxwell. In broad context Fresnel's work can be viewed as the first successfull assault on the theory of imponderables and a major influence on the development of nineteenth-centurty energetics." (DSB V, p. 171).

Order-nr.: 44101