Mirrors in the air: mirages in nature and in the laboratory

M Vollmer
Figure 19. A layered solution of fresh water above salt water resembles an artificial inversion layer. It allows the
observation of three-fold mirages (bottom) of objects (top).
to my former friend E Tränkle, who died much too
early.
Received 1 October 2008, in final form 20 November 2008
doi:10.1088/0031-9120/44/2/008
References
[1] Minnaert M G J 1993 Light and Color in the
Outdoors 1st edn (Berlin: Springer) (in Dutch
1937)
[2] Greenler R 1980 Rainbows, Halos, and Glories
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
[3] Lynch D K and Livingston W 2001 Color and
Light in Nature 2nd edn (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press)
[4] Vollmer M 2005 Lichtspiele in der Luft:
Atmosphärische Optik für Einsteiger
(Spektrum-Elsevier)
[5] Cowley L, Laven Ph and Vollmer M 2005 Rings
around the sun and moon: coronae and
diffraction Phys. Educ. 40 51–9
[6] Cowley L T www.atoptics.co.uk
[7] Penndorf R 1957 Tables of the refractive index for
standard air and the Rayleigh scattering
coefficient for the spectral region between 0.2
and 20 μm and their application to
atmospheric optics J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47 176
[8] Tricker R A R 1970 Introduction to
Meteorological Optics (New York: Elsevier)
[9] Parviainen P www.polarimage.fi
[10] Pernter J M and Exner F M 1922 Meteorologische
Optik 2 edn (Vienna: W Braumüller)
[11] Greenler R 1987 Laboratory simulation of inferior
and superior mirages J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 4 589
[12] Vollmer M and Tammer R 1998 Laboratory
experiments in atmospheric optics Appl. Opt.
37 1557
[13] Tape C 2000 Aquarium, computer, and Alaska
range mirages Phys. Teach. 38 308
[14] Vollmer M and Greenler R 2003 Halo and mirage
demonstrations in atmospheric optics Appl.
Opt. 42 394
Michael Vollmer is professor of physics
at the University of Applied Sciences in
Brandenburg, Germany, working in the
fields of infrared thermal imaging,
spectroscopy, atmospheric optics and
didactics of physics. Besides teaching
and research he is also involved in
in-service-teacher training.
174 P HYSICS E DUCATION March 2009