2/20/2014

The polarization of the sky

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RidingtoaPolarizedSunset

Theskyispolarized,asanybeewilleagerlytellyou.Humans(withthepossibleexceptionoftheVikings)onlydiscoveredthisin1809thankstoArago.Sixty yearslaterJohnTyndalldemonstratedhowthishappenswithhisfamousandbeautifullightshinningthroughcloudymatterexperiments[1].Boththe polarizationandthecolorsoftheskyarecreatedbylight"scattering",thetechnicalwordforlightthatis"bounced"inrandomdirectionsbymatter. Ingeneral,theskyispolarizedtangentialtoacirclecenteredinthesunandmaximumpolarizationisfoundatninetydegreesfromit.Therefore,withthesun closetothezeniththeskywillbepolarizedhorizontallyalongtheentirehorizon.Ontheotherhand,whenthesunissettingWest,theskywillbemaximally polarizedalongthemeridianandthusverticallyatthehorizondueNorthandSouth.Towardsthezenithjustaftersunset(orbeforesunrise)thedegreeof polarizationoftheskycanreachitsmaximumofabout75%inverycleardays.Don'tforgettotestthesefactsusingyourpolarizedsunglassesnexttimeyou sunbatheonatropicalbeach(avacationfriendlynonstrenuousactivity). Thepolarizationpatternoftheskycanbealittlemorecomplicatedthanthesimplest(singlescattering)theorywouldpredict.Infact,Aragohimselfdiscovered thattheskyoppositetothesunisnotcompletelyunpolarizedasonecouldexpectbutsomewhatverticallypolarized(upto2030%atsunset:thisissometimes giventheperplexingnameofnegativepolarization).Thepointwherethepolarizationswitchesfromverticaltohorizontalgoingfromthehorizontothezenithis calledtheAragoneutralpoint.Thereasonforthisisthatwhenthesuniscloseto(orbelow)thehorizonitslightcompeteswiththetwilightskyitselfasan illuminationsource,orinotherwords,theskyatthehorizonisilluminatedbytherestofthesky.Twootherneutralpoints(muchmoredifficulttodetect)are rumoredtobeaboveandbelowthesun(theBabinetandBrewsterneutralpoints)[2].

Withthesunclosetothezeniththeskyispolarizedmostlyhorizontally.

Atsunsetthepolarizationalongthehorizonismostlyvertical.

Whyscattercanpolarizelight?
Scatterhappensbecauseaphotonexcitesanelectronthatabsorbsitsenergyandvibrates,and thisvibrationreradiateslikeanantennaanewphotoninarandomdirection.Thedirectionof theelectronvibrationisthesameasthedirectionoftheelectricfieldoftheincidentphoton. Conversely,theradiatedphotonhastheelectricfieldalignedwiththedirectionoftheelectron vibration. Lightisatransversalwavewhatmeansthattheelectricfield"vibrates"perpendicularlytothe directionofthebeam.Iftheincidentlightisunpolarized,theelectricfieldvibratesinevery directioninaplaneperpendiculartothebeam.Theelectronofthescatteringmoleculewillalso vibrateconfinedtothatplane.Butiftheplaneisseenfromtheside,thevibrationsappeartobe confinedtoaline,asshowninthisanimation.Therefore,lightscatteredbackwards(or forward)remainsunpolarized,whilelightscatteredat90degreesbecomeslinearlypolarized (inintermediatedirectionsitispartiallypolarized). Now,itisimportanttorealizethatifaphotonisscatteredmultipletimesinsteadofjustoncebeforeitreachestheobserver,itspolarizationbecomesrandom.The reasonisthateachscatteringeventisinarandom3Ddirectionandthereforethefinalpolarizationalsobecomesrandom.

Whycanapolarizedfiltermaketheskybluer?
Iftheairwerecompletelytransparent,wewouldbeabletoseethestarsduringtheday(nice!)buttherewouldbenovisible"sky"(notsonice).Thisisthesame reasonwhyyouhavetoblowsmokeonalaserbeamtoseeitfromtheside.Theskytendstolookskybluebecausetheshorter(blue)wavelengthsaremore likelytobescatteredthanthelonger(red)onesbythemuchsmallerairmolecules("Rayleighscattering").ContrarytotheLittleRedRidingHoodtale,being dressedblueputsthephotonathigherriskofinterceptionbeforereachinghome. Butifyourarelookingthroughalotofair(i.e.atthehorizon)orwhenthereareotherlargerparticles(e.g.pollution)thataremuchmoreefficientscatterersthan theairmolecules,longer(redder)wavelengthsarealsolikelytobescatteredtowardsyou.Atthesametime,thereisahigherchancethatbluelightisscattereda secondtimeonitswaytoyoureyes,limitingtheincreaseofitscontribution.Theendresultisthattheskywillloosesomeofitcolorsaturationandbecomemore whitish.
http://www.polarization.com/sky/sky.html 1/2

2/20/2014

The polarization of the sky

Therefore,skylightcolorsthatreachyoureyehavedifferentpedigree.Thebluelineageismore likelytohavebeenscatteredmultipletimesthandoestheredpartofthespectrum.Asmultiple scatteringsdestroythepolarizationoflight,bluelightislesspolarizedthanothercolorsin skylight. Thus,byaligningapolarizersoitblocksthepolarizationoftheskyitsbluecolorisenhanced (butdarkened).Photographersfrequentlyusepolarizedfiltersontheircamerastocaptureskiesthat lookmoresaturatedthantotheunaidedeye. Thisfisheyephotograph(hires)ofthefullskyatsunsetwaskindlyprovidedbyForrestMimsof electronicsauthoringfame.HetookitfromhisSouthCentralTexasObservatoryusingapolarizing filteralignedEastWest.TheroughlyNorthSouthlineofdarkblueskyshowswherepolarization wasatitsmaximum.Asthetitleofthatcountrywesternsongnotyetwrittensays:"theskiesof Texasarebluestforthecowboywithsunglassesandnobluestosing."
Mimswillgrantuseofthispicturefornoncommercialusebystudentsandindividualssolongasacknowledgmentis given.Ifyouareinterestedincomputers,youshouldreadhisfirsthandaccountofthehistoryofAltair,thefirstcommercialpersonalcomputer,athissitewww.forrestmims.org.

[1]JohnTyndall,Onthebluecolorofthesky,thepolarizationofskylight,andonthepolarizationbycloudymatteringeneral,Proc.Roy.Soc.(London),17,p. 223,1869. [2]G.P.Knnen,PolarizedlightinNature,CambridgeUniversityPress,1985(originalinDutch,1980).Highlyrecommended.

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