POLARIZATION SPECTROSCOPY OF ORDERED SAMPLES

Abstract

Light around us is often, at least partially, linearly polarized; this is, for example, true for scattered light. Since light from the blue sky is also scattered light, it, too, is partially linearly polarized. The polarization direction of this light is perpendicular to the plane defined by the point on the blue sky that is being observed, the eye of the observer, and the sun. Clouds may reduce or eliminate completely the light polarization.