waxler_1971#
R. M. Waxler and G. W. Cleek, “Refractive Indices of Fused Silica at Low Temperatures”, J. Res. Natl. Bur. Stand. 75A, 279 (1971)
Source record · Catalogue · Review register
Source kind: measurement
Recorded technique: Fizeau interferometry of the change of optical path with temperature (after Austin and Pierce): a plate of Corning Code 7940 fused silica about 0.3 cm thick, half-silvered on the front and fully silvered on the back, viewed in reflection with collimated light; fringe shifts photographed for several lines at once (He 471.3, 501.6, 587.6, 667.8 nm; Cd 467.8, 480.0, 508.6, 643.8 nm; Hg 404.7, 435.8 nm) as the specimen, in a liquid-nitrogen cryostat, was cooled in plateaus of about half an hour from +20 to about -192 C (copper-constantan thermocouple; sensitivity 0.02 C at room temperature, 0.5 C at the lowest). Delta n = Delta N lambda/(2 t Delta T) - n Delta t/(t Delta T), Eq. (2), with the thermal expansion of Scheel and Heuse; the Delta n fitted by a cubic in T and printed every 10 C, added to Malitson’s 20 C indices (pp. 279-280).
Materials in structured entries: SiO2
Dataset quantities: refractive_index
Contents: 23 datasets; 0 formulas.
Curation notes#
Journal pages 279-281 are pdf pages 1-3. Identity checked against the first page.
MEDIUM. ‘These increments were added to the initial values of refractive index, and the results which refer to air at 20 C are shown in table 1’ (p. 280): every row is relative to air at 20 C (the medium of Malitson’s initial values; malitson_1965 is read as relative to room air at 20 C, TC-399), not to air at the sample’s temperature. The datasets say index_medium = ‘air’ with air_temperature_k = 293.15 (pressure not stated). The paper does not say what gas, if any, was in the cryostat; leviton_2006 (p. 1) says ‘While their measurements were made in vacuum, their results are reported in air’. The wavelengths are the lines’ air wavelengths, printed to 0.1 nm (He 587.6 is the 587.56 nm air line), recorded as standard air.
ACCURACY. ‘shifts could be measured to one-tenth of an interference fringe, and calculations showed that this meant that the sensitivity of measurement was about +-2 x 10^-5 in Delta n’; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’ (p. 280). The datasets carry +-2e-5 (level not stated). The absolute level is Malitson’s 20 C index (malitson_1965), whose own uncertainty adds to it.
TABLE 1 CHECKS (2026-09-27). The +20 C row is within 0.75e-5 of Malitson’s Eq. (1) (malitson_1965/sellmeier) at the printed wavelengths as air wavelengths. Every column falls monotonically with temperature, by 2-9 x 1e-5 per 10 C, except 480.0 nm at +10 C, printed 1.46431 between 1.46350 (+20 C) and 1.46332 (0 C): a transposition of 1.46341 (erratum). Dispersion: n(404.7) - n(667.8) is 0.01343 at -200 C and 0.01355 at +20 C (p. 281), as the table gives.
TABLE 2 (-Delta n x 10^4 from +18 to -160 C; no quantity, not extracted): this study 12.1, 12.2, 12.7, 12.8 at 667.8, 587.6, 501.6, 471.3 nm; Austin and Pierce (Physics 6, 43 (1935)) 11.8 at 587.6 nm; Rinne (Neues Jahrb. Mineral. Beil. 39, 388 (1914), via Sosman) 10, 11, 12, 14 (p. 281). The 18 C values of this study come from the computer run and are not in Table 1.
dn/dT (text and Fig. 1 only; not recorded as data): ‘Values of the thermal coefficient of refractive index were found to be positive and varied from about 9 x 10^-6/C at room temperature to 3 x 10^-6/C at liquid nitrogen temperature’ (abstract). Fig. 1: dn/dT at 587.6 nm against temperature, -200 to +20 C, the smoothed curve of the cubic and the Delta n/Delta T of adjacent plateaus (points), decreasing continuously to the lowest temperature. dn/dT follows from Table 1’s differences (at 587.6 nm, 8e-6/K between +10 and +20 C, 2e-6/K between -200 and -190 C; relative to air at 20 C, a fixed medium, so these are absolute changes to within n_air).
REPRODUCTIONS. leviton_2006 and leviton_2008 (the same paper; Table 7) print ‘adjusted refractive indices of Waxler and Cleek ... minus refractive indices from CHARMS’ at the ten lines (wavelengths rounded to 1 nm) and -200, -150, -100, -50, 0 and +20 C (73-293 K), corrected ‘to be in vacuum’ by an unstated method. Recomputed here (2026-09-27) as Table 1 times the index of dry air at 20 C and 101 325 Pa (Edlen), minus Leviton and Frey’s Table 3 formula at the lines’ vacuum wavelengths: all 60 printed differences are reproduced within 1.1e-5 (57 within 0.8e-5), i.e. to their rounding to 1e-5.
Recorded bibliographic identity status: VALIDATED_WITH_WARNINGS. This concerns identification of the source; it does not establish the scientific correctness of its contents.
Datasets#
waxler_1971/n_p20C#
{
"id": "n_p20C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_p20C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "reproduced",
"reproduced_from": [
"malitson_1965"
],
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 293.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, +20 C: the initial values, ‘those reported by Malitson [11]’ (malitson_1965) at 20 C (p. 280); within 0.75e-5 of Malitson’s Eq. (1) at these air wavelengths (checked 2026-09-27; the wavelengths are printed to 0.1 nm). Relative to air at 20 C.
waxler_1971/n_p10C#
{
"id": "n_p10C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_p10C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 283.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, +10 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to +10 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_0C#
{
"id": "n_0C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_0C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 273.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, 0 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to 0 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m10C#
{
"id": "n_m10C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m10C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 263.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -10 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -10 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m20C#
{
"id": "n_m20C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m20C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 253.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -20 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -20 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m30C#
{
"id": "n_m30C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m30C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 243.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -30 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -30 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m40C#
{
"id": "n_m40C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m40C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 233.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -40 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -40 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m50C#
{
"id": "n_m50C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m50C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 223.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -50 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -50 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m60C#
{
"id": "n_m60C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m60C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 213.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -60 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -60 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m70C#
{
"id": "n_m70C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m70C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 203.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -70 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -70 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m80C#
{
"id": "n_m80C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m80C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 193.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -80 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -80 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m90C#
{
"id": "n_m90C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m90C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 183.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -90 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -90 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m100C#
{
"id": "n_m100C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m100C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 173.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -100 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -100 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m110C#
{
"id": "n_m110C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m110C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 163.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -110 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -110 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m120C#
{
"id": "n_m120C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m120C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 153.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -120 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -120 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m130C#
{
"id": "n_m130C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m130C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 143.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -130 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -130 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m140C#
{
"id": "n_m140C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m140C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 133.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -140 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -140 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m150C#
{
"id": "n_m150C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m150C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 123.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -150 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -150 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m160C#
{
"id": "n_m160C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m160C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 113.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -160 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -160 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m170C#
{
"id": "n_m170C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m170C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 103.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -170 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -170 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m180C#
{
"id": "n_m180C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m180C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 93.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -180 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -180 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m190C#
{
"id": "n_m190C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m190C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 83.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -190 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -190 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965).
waxler_1971/n_m200C#
{
"id": "n_m200C",
"material": "SiO2",
"file": "SiO2/waxler_1971__n_m200C.csv",
"table": "tbl_9585f8f840a4",
"quantity": "refractive_index",
"abscissa_unit": "nm",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"use": "primary",
"parameters": {
"temperature_k": 73.15,
"grade": "Corning 7940",
"form": "bulk",
"technique": "Fizeau interferometry of the index change, offset to Malitson's 20 C index",
"index_medium": "air",
"air_temperature_k": 293.15
},
"uncertainty": {
"absolute": 2e-05,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Table 1, -200 C: Malitson’s 20 C index plus the change Delta n from +20 C to -200 C measured by Fizeau interferometry, smoothed by a cubic in temperature (p. 280). The index ‘refer[s] to air at 20 C’ (p. 280): relative to air at 20 C whatever the sample temperature. Sensitivity +-2e-5 in Delta n; ‘The standard deviation of each value of the original data was within +-1 x 10^-5’. The absolute level is Malitson’s (malitson_1965). The runs reached ‘about -192 C’ (p. 280): this row is the cubic carried about 8 K beyond the data.
Formulas#
No formulas are recorded.
Corrections#
[
{
"dataset": "n_p10C",
"row": "480.0",
"column": "value",
"printed": "1.46431",
"corrected": "1.46341",
"reason": "Transposed digits: the 480.0 nm column falls monotonically with temperature, and 1.46431 at +10 C lies 8.1e-4 above the +20 C value (1.46350) and 9.9e-4 above the 0 C value (1.46332); 1.46341 falls 9e-5 per 10 C as its neighbours do.",
"evidence": "Table 1 image (pdf p. 2) prints 1.46431 at +10 C, 480.0 nm. Every other step of every column is -2 to -9 x 1e-5 per 10 C (checked 2026-09-27); the neighbouring columns at +10 C (1.46215 at 501.6 nm, 1.46398 at 471.3 nm) bracket 1.46341, not 1.46431."
}
]
Formula corrections, where recorded, appear with their formulas above. Curation notes may also discuss corrections or unresolved interpretation. Consult the review register for the checks and decisions.