Abstract
A single ray of white light, incident on a glass prism, emerges as a family of diverging rays, parameterized by their colors. These originate from a virtual caustic (envelope of colored rays) inside the prism, rather than a focal point. The "caustic of colors" is a singularity different from the familiar colored caustics (incoherent superpositions of monochromatic ray/wave families that themselves possess caustics). Weak dispersion enables analytical approximations: completely describing the virtual caustic, and rendering to simulate its visual colors. The caustic region is very small; observing it with a beam narrow enough to resolve its colors would require a meter-sized prism. Observability depends on the third power of dispersion, so the caustic, though not its colors, might be detectable by extension outside the visual range.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call