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Photolab

The Horus laser

Fotolab_horusfapesp1Scattering light on different types of films formed by combining soap and water can produce unique optical patterns.  By manipulating a blue laser-emitting tip, physicists Adriana and Alberto Tufaile controlled the angle of incidence of the light on distant soap bubbles and managed to superimpose two figures: a set of concentric rings inside a halo, technically called a parallel circle.  The center of the final image reminds us of the eye of Horus, an ancient Egyptian symbol for power and protection.  The researchers explain the process of formation of the optical pattern in an article published in the October 2015 issue of Physics Letters A.

Image submitted by Adriana and Alberto Tufaile, professors at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH) of the University of São Paulo (USP)

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