Light scattered by Spherical Metal Particles. 473 



In fig. 3 P is plotted against 6= cos -1 /ju. When tj^O the 

 direction of maximum polarization is at 90° to the incident 

 beam, as for transparent particles, in which direction the 

 light is plane-polarized. The curve for rj = 1 follows very 



Fit 



100 



? o 



180° 150° 120° 90° 60° 30° C 



e 



Theoretical polarization curves for silver particles (X = . r >00///i). 



closely that for t;->0, hut the maximum has shifted a little 

 from the 90° position back towards the incident beam. In 

 this respect it follows the procedure in the case of transparent 

 particles, and the calculation agrees witli the conclusion of 

 (t. W. Walker* that, for these small sizes, the polarization 

 of light scattered by particles possessing a certain amount of 

 conductivity should not differ from that scattered by dielectric 

 particles. It may also he recalled that in the ca.se of per- 

 fectly conducting particles the maximum polarization first 

 shifts from the 120° position hack towards the incident 

 beam. So that in all cases, as we pass Erom the case ol 



* Quart. Journ. of Pure and Applied Maths., vol. xxx. p. 'J\7 (1809). 



