Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Mar 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003amjph..71..216o&link_type=abstract
American Journal of Physics, Volume 71, Issue 3, pp. 216-219 (2003).
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
8
Educational Aids, Color Vision: Color Detection, Adaptation, And Discrimination, Psychophysics Of Vision, Visual Perception, Binocular Vision, Radiative Processes, Solar Radiation, Historical Astronomy And Archaeoastronomy, And Other Topics In Fundamental Astronomy And Astrophysics, Instrumentation, Techniques, And Astronomical Observations
Scientific paper
It is sometimes said that humans see best at yellow-green wavelengths because they have evolved under a Sun whose blackbody spectrum has a Wien peak in the green part of the spectrum. However, as a function of frequency, the solar blackbody spectrum peaks in the infrared. Why did human vision not evolve toward a peak sensitivity in this range, if the eye is an efficient quantum detector of photons? The puzzle is resolved if we assume that natural selection acted in such a way as to maximize the amount of energy that can be detected by the retina across a range of wavelengths (whose upper and lower limits are fixed by biological constraints). It is then found that our eyes are indeed perfectly adapted to life under a class G2 star. Extending this reasoning allows educated guesses to be made about the kind of eyesight that might have evolved in extrasolar planetary systems such as that of the red dwarf Gliese 876.
No associations
LandOfFree
Eyesight and the solar Wien peak does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Eyesight and the solar Wien peak, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Eyesight and the solar Wien peak will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1881648