Paper, 'On certain appearances of beams of light, seen as if emanating from candle or lamp flames' by James Thomson

Description

William Thomson introduces his late brother's paper: 'About the end of last January, when my brother was fully occupied in writing his paper on the Trade Winds for the Bakerian Lecture, he called my attention to the well-known beams or ladders of light seen below or above a lamp flame viewed with partially-closed eyelids, and he gave me verbally an explanation of the phenomenon which surprised me very much. By some simple and interesting trials with my own eyes, which he explained to me how to make, I was perfectly convinced that his explanation was correct; and believing it, as I still believe it, to be new, I urged him to write a short paper on the subject for the Royal Society, but not to let it interfere with his work for the Bakerian Lecture; and he undertook to do so as soon as might be after being freed from this work.'

Annotations in pencil and ink. Includes a diagram and corresponding sketch of the human eye.

Subject: Optics

Received 10 June 1892. Read 16 June 1892. Communicated by the President [William Thomson].

A version of this paper was published in volume 52 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On certain appearances of beams of light, seen as if emanating from candle or lamp flames'.

Reference number

PP/20/6

Earliest possible date

1892

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

16 pages

Format

Manuscript
Diagram