Next message: Bill: "Refraction for beginners"
"Implicit in this statement is the assumption that the relationship between
the increase in density and the increase in the index of refraction is linear.
Can you give me a reference about this?
I believe that a correllation is there, but if the functional form is linear,
then is the constant of proportionality exactly 1.0? If it is non-linear,
then what is the functional form?"
Off the top of my head, I don't know where you would find a reference on
this. It's standard for low to moderate density gases. The index of refraction is
very nearly given by
n = 1 + 0.0003*(rho/rho_0)
where rho is the variable density and rho_0 is the sea level density under
standard conditions. Note that this relationship does not apply to liquids or
solids or very high-density gases.
Frank R
[ ] Mystic, Connecticut
[X] Chicago, Illinois
