phy1020.DVI

Figure 52.1: Overlapping diffraction patterns and the Rayleigh criterion.

separation of two point sources of light that allows the sources to still be distinguished as two separate points
is given by:

D

8

ˆ<

ˆ:

1:22

D

.circular aperture/

a

.rectangular aperture/

(52.3)

Hereis the minimum angular separation (in radians), is the wavelength of light,Dis the diameter of a
circular aperture, andais the width of a rectangular aperture.

52.2 Floaters in the Eye

52.3 The Diffraction Grating