Light scattered by Spherical Metal Particles. 469 



through which it is moved is called co, then P= — 100 cos 2<w. 

 In practice it is better to make two settings of the nicol, one 

 on each side of the zero position ; the angle between the 

 settings is then 2&>. 



The polarization curve for the case when the particles are 

 very small compared with the wave-length (t?->0), taken 

 from Mie's paper, is reproduced in fig. 2 for the sake of 



+ 100 



+ 80 - 



+40 - 



? o 



-20 - 



-40 



-60 



Fie. 2. 



Theoretical Totalization curves for perfectly conducting particles. 



comparison. It shows the scattered wave to be plane- 

 polarized in a direction making 120° with the incident beam. 

 When ?7 = 1 the scattered wave is no longer plane-polarized 

 in any direction, but there is a direction of maximum polari- 

 zation at about = 110°. As 77 increases this maximum 

 moves back again through the 120° position, for when 17= 1*5 

 it is at about 130° with the incident beam. At the same 

 time a neutral point (P = 0) appears, which when 77 = 1'5 is 



