Re: Plastic Light

Doune wrote:
Andy Resnick wrote:

Doune wrote:


Hi Andy

<snip>

You are confusing energy with velocity. Inelastic scattering does
indeed occur (Raman scattering).

<snip>


No, I talking about reflection. Sam Wormley (who seems to be a credible
contributor) has stated Photons are "absorbed" and "re emitted" as if
"reflected".

"reflection" is another way of saying "elastic scattering". Sam is an excellent resource on this newsgroup- take what he says seriously.

I think Raman scattering is related to light polarisation by the
molecule - and so is dependant on the substrate.

I have never heard Raman scattering be explained this way.


I'm talking much more generally about everyday, common or garden
reflected light (mirrors, paper etc)

"Scattering" simply refers to the most general interaction between light and matter (as well as matter-matter interactions). There is forward scattering, back scattering, inelastic, elastic, diffuse, coherent....

Scattering can be framed in terms of absorption and re-emission, but this is not always the most direct method of analysis, as the coherence properties of emitted and absorbed light need to be kept track of.


--
Andrew Resnick, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Case Western Reserve University
.

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