Mottes, J. and Ortolan, D. and Ruffato, G. (2023) Haidinger's brushes: Perceiving the polarization of light via an entoptic phenomenon. Il nuovo cimento C, 46 (5). pp. 1-4. ISSN 1826-9885
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Abstract
Entoptic phenomena are visual artifacts arising from the interaction of light with the specific physical structure of the eye. Among the most famous ones, the phenomenon of Haidinger’s brushes consists in the perception of a subtle bow tie in the presence of linearly polarized light, and it is originated by the peculiar spa- tial distribution of dichroic carotenoid molecules forming a sort of embedded radial polarizer in the macula. We have developed a compact versatile optical setup for the psychophysical analysis of the perceptual threshold of this entoptic effect. The tests on a group of 113 healthy individuals under conditions of maximum contrast (blue light) reveal the human capability to perceive an average polarization degree around 16%. The same analysis in white light suggests a polarization sensitivity around 55%. The developed prototype outlines a new platform to train the user in the perception of polarization and can help infer the physiological conditions of macular pigments in the fovea.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | 500 Scienze naturali e Matematica > 530 Fisica |
| Depositing User: | Marina Spanti |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Mar 2024 15:44 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Mar 2024 15:44 |
| URI: | http://eprints.bice.rm.cnr.it/id/eprint/22754 |
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