Poisson's (Arago's) Spot

(thing) by PaSTE Tue Jun 05 2001 at 18:50:48

Siméon Poisson deduced from Fresnel's theory that there will be a bright spot in the center of the shadow of a back-lit circular opaque object. Poisson hoped to disprove the wave theory of light with this deduction, but François Arago experimentally verifed it. This brightly lit spot is today refered to as the Poisson's (Arago's) Spot.

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