Page:Collected Physical Papers.djvu/66

46 I shall now give a general account of the results of the experiments. When the prisms are separated by a thickness of air-space greater than the minimum thickness for total reflection, the rays are totally reflected, there being no response of the receiver in position A, but strong action in position B. As the thickness is gradually decreased below the critical thickness, the rays begin to be transmitted. The transmitted portion goes on increasing with the diminution of the thickness of air-space, there being a corresponding diminution of the reflected component of the radiation. When the thickness of the air-space is reduced to about 0·3 mm., no reflected portion can be detected even when the receiver is made extremely sensitive. The reflected component is thus practically reduced to zero, the radiation being now entirely transmitted; the two prisms, in spite of the breach due to the air-space, are electro-optically continuous. This is the case only

when the two prisms are made of the same substance. If the second prism be made of sulphur, or of any other substance which has either a lower or a higher refractive index, there is always a reflected portion even when the two prisms are in contact.