New considerations on Talbot's bands

In this paper a new approach is presented to explain the formation of Talbo t's bands by using the model of tilted pulse fronts. Numerical calculations of this model are presented. Another interpretation of Talbot's original p aper is also given and explained. Simple experiments, suitable for students ' laboratory practice, have been used to carefully study the dependence of the visibility of the bands on different properties of the plate: thickness , refractive index, dispersion. Photos of Talbot's bands are also presented . (C) 2000 American Association of Physics Teachers.