ABSTRACT
In previous chapters we saw that classical radiating systems could be represented in terms of the Stokes parameters and the Stokes vector. In addition, we saw that the representation of spectral lines in terms of the Stokes vector enabled us to arrive at a formulation of spectral lines that corresponds exactly to spectroscopic observations in terms of the polarization, frequency, and brightness. Specifically, when this formulation was applied to describing the motion of a bound electron moving in a constant magnetic field, there was complete agreement between the Maxwell-Lorentz theory and Zeeman’s experimental observations. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century the combination of Maxwell’s theory of radiation, represented by Maxwell’s equations, and the Lorentz theory of the atom appeared to completely explain optical and electromagnetic phenomena. This triumph of the new theory was short-lived, however.
