Understanding the Light Microscope A Computer-Aided Introduction

Understanding the light microscope consists of four original computer programs with an explanatory book. Author Dan Goldstein says using the programs can teach aspects of microscopy and diffraction not often found in medical or biological courses, adding, "... what one non-mathematician has created should not be beyond the understanding of others!" The book aims to provide understanding at a level deeper than customary in existing texts and in a form accessible to microscope users, particularly biologists. It covers simple ray optics, the aberrations of "real" (thick) lenses, polarized light, and the influence of diffraction on imaging. The book can be read alone, but appreciation of its contents is greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the programs. The Zernike program allows simulation of the effects of aperture, spherical aberration and focus of the objective lens, as well as coherence of the illumination. There is a range of illumination options, including: bright field; oblique; phase-contrast, central, and peripheral dark field; Schlieren; modulation contrast; apodization; interference microscopy (both shearing and differential); fluorescence; and confocal scanning. The program can simulate Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction by slits and gratings, interference of light from two slits, and the formation of a bright region in the middle of the shadow of an opaque object. The Kohler program is interactive, and is intended to teach the operation of bright field and phase- contrast microscopes. Microscope settings can be made random for adjustment practice. The Nicol program simulates aspects of quantitative polarized-light microscopy. Object properties can be made random for practice in the analysis of unknown anisotropic specimens. Snellius is a ray-tracing program showing the effect of aberrations that occur in simple and compound lenses. Users can define their own lens systems, and save the results to disc. There is a help function for all four programs. The programs, which have been in intermittent evolution since 1986, enable researchers using microscopy to back up practical experience with theory. Advanced medical, biological, and biomedical undergraduates, as well as optical physicists in industry and academia, will find them invaluable.Goldstein, D. J. is the author of 'Understanding the Light Microscope A Computer-Aided Introduction', published 1999 under ISBN 9780122886607 and ISBN 0122886607.