Alfred Cornu
Alfred Cornu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marie Alfred Cornu 6 March 1841 Orléans, France |
| Died | 12 April 1902 (aged 61) Romorantin-Lanthenay, France |
| Alma mater | École polytechnique Éccole de mines |
| Known for | Cornu depolarizer Cornu spiral Cornu's refinement of the Fizeau experiment |
| Relatives | Marie Maxime Cornu (brother) |
| Awards | Rede Lecture (1899) ForMemRS (1884) Rumford Medal (1878) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | École polytechnique |
| Thesis | Recherches sur la réflexion cristalline (1867) |
| Notable students | Albert A. Michelson |
Marie Alfred Cornu (French: [kɔʁny]; 6 March 1841 – 12 April 1902) was a French physicist and professor of École polytechnique. The Cornu spiral, a graphical device for the computation of light intensities in Augustin-Jean Fresnel's model of near-field diffraction, is named after him. The spiral (or clothoid) is also used in geometric design of roads. The Cornu depolarizer is also named after him.