The Structure of Benzene and Cyclohexane and their Optical Anisotropy

Abstract

IN a recent paper (Roy. Soc. Proc., A, vol. 107, p. 684), I have shown that the optical anisotropy of the gaseous molecules of a number of di-atomic and tri-atomic compounds which is evidenced by the polarisation of the light scattered from them, can be explained by the mutual action of the electrical doublets induced in the different atoms of the molecule by the electric field of the incident radiation. Each atom was assumed to behave isotropically. Satisfactory agreement was obtained between the observed and calculated values of the depolarisation of the scattered light in the case of the molecules CO₂, N₂O and CS₂.