Butterflies and Coleopterons are among the most colorful animals that we are lucky to observe. It is certainly not for our sake that nature indulges itself into such brightness, indeed this very beauty is vital. Although the present book is essentially the work of a physicist, its main objective is to be fundamentally trans-disciplinary. To understand the origins of those bright colors without looking at their evolution potential, to focus on the question "how" neglecting the question "why", would not only be unsatisfying, but it would also harm our understanding of the phenomena. The two aspects clarify one another and cannot be separated. This book can be read at various rhythms so that there is something in it for everyone. Biologists will find a clear and in-depth study of the different physical phenomena generating colors; that is all the things that we once learnt or which we often hear, but forgot. It will constitute a boundless "biomimetical" inspiration for physicists and engineers, for if physics is simple, the combinations of effects and the structures involved are extremely complex and original. As concerns students and teachers, this book will constitute a great base for practical works and it will finally fill with wonder those repelled by equations.

Auteur

Serge Berthier teaches physics at the Denis Diderot-Paris 7 University and researches biologic structures, colors and biomimetism at the Institut des NanoSciences de Paris ( Pierre and Marie Curie-Paris 6 University and CNRS). He teaches solid state optics in the post-graduate degree "Optics and material" and the post-graduate research degree "Optics and Photonic" for the Denis Diderot University. He also teaches electromagnetism and laser physics to undergraduates at the Paris-Jussieu Institut of Technology.

Résumé

Butterflies and coleoptera are the most beautifully colored insects we can find. This book wants to understand the origin of these brilliant colors from a physics perspective. The different physical phenomena are explained and numerous color illustrations shown. The book is a rich source for optical physicists, biologists, and teachers alike.

Contenu
Iridescence.- Why Colors.- Lepidoptera Description and Scales of Observation.- Coleoptera Description and Observation Scales.- Changing Colors: Structures or Pigments?.- Physical Colors, Chemical Colors Basics of Solid State Optics.- 1-Dimensional Structures: Interferences.- 2-Dimensional Structures: Interferences and Diffraction.- 3-Dimensional Structures: Crystalline Diffraction.- Amorphous Structures: Scattering.- Pigments and Pigmentary Colors.- Thermoregulation and Spectral Selectivity.- Vision and Colorimetry.