Examining the Optical Properties of the Polar Bear Pelt
Reid Hutchins
Abstract:
The optical transmission of the polar bear hair was examined in an attempt to determine whether or not the polar bear is using its pelt to convert light into heat as others have proposed. The optical loss was found to be approximately 2 decibels per mm from 550 to 735 nm. This value of loss essentially eliminates the possibility that the polar bear's pelt is behaving like an optical fiber in order to transmit light to the bears skin for conversion to heat.
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| © | St. Lawrence University | Department of Physics |
| Revised: 25 Jun 03 | Canton, NY 13617 |
