Part One I › Division II II › Section 128 128

Waves and Wave Motion

Subject Outline

AGeneral wave phenomena and the theory of wave motion
- 1General properties of waves: frequency, amplitude, wavelength, phase
- 2Classification of waves
  - aWaves classified by the medium supporting the transmission of wave motion: water waves, sound waves, electromagnetic waves
  - bWaves classified by the motion of particles in a wave: transverse, longitudinal, torsional, and cylindrical waves
  - cOther classifications: bow waves and shock waves
- 3The theory of waves
  - aGeneral characteristics of vibratory motion: periodicity, group velocity, energy content
  - bThe velocity of waves
  - cThe wave equation: the space-time description of wave motion
  - dTransport of energy and momentum
- 4The principle of superposition of waves
  - aStanding waves: waves with stationary nodes
  - bModulation of waves
  - cPulse and wave trains
- 5The behaviour of waves at boundaries or interfaces: reflection, transmission, refraction
- 6The diffraction and interference of waves
- 7The interaction of waves with matter: absorption, dispersion
BElectromagnetic waves
- 1Properties and behaviour of electromagnetic waves
- 2Waves of the electromagnetic spectrum and their properties
  - aRadio waves
  - bMicrowaves
  - cInfrared radiation
  - dVisible light [see C., below]
  - eUltraviolet waves
  - fX rays [see 111.D.]
  - gGamma rays
- 3Sources of incoherent electromagnetic waves
  - aSources of radio waves: oscillators, antennas, cosmic objects
  - bSources of microwaves: klystrons, magnetrons, Gunn diodes, tunnel diodes, cosmic sources
  - cSources of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet waves
    - iBlackbody radiation
    - iiLuminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence
    - iiiThe passage of electrical current through a resisting medium
  - dSources of X rays: X-ray tubes (bremsstrahlung), synchrotron radiation
  - eSources of gamma rays: radioactive nuclei
- 4Sources of coherent electromagnetic waves: lasers and masers
- 5The transmission of electromagnetic waves: through matter, through space, by wave guides and transmission lines
CLight waves
- 1Light as a wave motion: the wave theory of light
  - aThe properties of light consistent with the wave theory: diffraction, interference, polarization, dispersion
  - bThe spectrum of light: the description of colour in terms of wavelengths
- 2The velocity of light and its measurement
- 3Interference of light
- 4Diffraction phenomena
- 5Polarization
  - aSuperposition of polarized beams: plane, circularly, or elliptically polarized light
  - bDouble refraction: waves in anisotropic media
  - cCharacterization of polarized light by Stokes's parameters and Poincare sphere
- 6Properties and behaviour of light waves based on Maxwell's equations of electromagnetic theory
- 7The interaction of light with matter
  - aReflection and refraction
  - bDispersion and scattering
  - cAbsorption: mechanical and chemical effects of light
- 8The quantum theory of light: the photon
  - aObserved photon phenomena: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, Rayleigh scattering
  - bThe uncertainty principle in relation to the study of the phenomena of light
  - cThe detection and counting of photons
- 9The separation of light into its constituent wavelengths, the analysis of light spectra
- 10Sources of light
- 11The biological effects of light, including photosynthesis [see 322.A. and 335.B.]
DThe focusing and imaging of light waves
- 1Geometrical optics: the geometry of light rays and their image-forming properties through optical systems
  - aTheoretical considerations: law of reflection, law of refraction, Lagrange theorem, Gauss theory of lenses
  - bOptical systems: components, applications, lens aberrations, brightness of image formed
- 2Optics and information theory
  - aOptical data processing
  - bHolography: a two-step image-forming process using coherent light
ESound waves
- 1The nature and properties of sound waves
- 2Shock waves and their characteristics
- 3Sources of sound waves
- 4The reception of sound
- 5Applications of acoustics
  - aRecording and reproduction [see 735.F.]
  - bArchitectural and acoustical design [see 733.A.8.]
  - cSpeech and music [see 514.D.1.and 624.B.]
  - dMilitary acoustical detectors [see 735.J.2.]
  - eNoise control [see 733.A.8.]
- 6Physical aspects of musical sound
  - aThe special properties of musical sound: pitch, timbre, loudness; fundamentals and overtones