Thesis
Hyperbolic-umbilic diffraction catastrophe from oblate water drops with tilted illumination
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2008
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100552
Abstract
Marston and Trinh [Nature (1984)] demonstrated that when an oblate spheroidal water drop is illuminated with a horizontally propagating Gaussian laser beam, the scattering of light by the drops near the horizontal rainbow region produces a pattern like that of a hyperbolic-umbilic diffraction catastrophe. When the drop's aspect ratio was 1.305 ± 0.016, they observed a V-shaped hyperbolic-umbilic focal section. In this thesis, the water drop is illuminated with a monochromatic laser beam which is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane of the drop's equator. The hyperbolic-umbilic diffraction catastrophe was observed even in the case of tilted illumination. The thesis further investigates the effect of the beam's tilt on the critical aspect ratio of the drop at which the hyperbolic-umbilic focal section is observed. It was found that the critical aspect ratio has a quadratic dependence on the tilt angle of the beam. In addition, the apex of the V is vertically offset by an amount approximately equal to the tilt of the beam.
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Details
- Title
- Hyperbolic-umbilic diffraction catastrophe from oblate water drops with tilted illumination
- Creators
- Oli Jobe
- Contributors
- Philip L. Marston (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525031201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis