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Why Airy disc formula has 1.22 in front of it?Does it depend on aperture diameter?Thanks
The number 1.22 is included in the Airy Disc formula because it accounts for the diffraction of light as it passes through a circular aperture, such as the lens of a telescope. This phenomenon causes a point source of light to appear as a small disc rather than a single point. The value of 1.22 is a constant that takes into account the wavelength of light and the size of the aperture.
The Airy Disc formula is derived from the theory of diffraction, which explains how light waves behave when passing through a small opening or around an object. The formula takes into account the wave nature of light and the size of the aperture, along with other factors such as the wavelength and focal length of the lens.
The Airy Disc formula is significant in optics because it helps determine the resolution of a telescope or other optical instrument. The size of the Airy disc, which is determined by the formula, represents the minimum distance between two points that can still be resolved by the instrument. This is important in fields such as astronomy, where the ability to see fine details in distant objects is crucial.
Yes, the Airy Disc formula can be applied to all types of lenses, as long as they have a circular aperture. This includes lenses used in telescopes, cameras, microscopes, and other optical instruments. However, the formula may need to be modified slightly for lenses with non-circular apertures, such as rectangular or hexagonal shapes.
There are some limitations to the Airy Disc formula, as it assumes ideal conditions and does not take into account factors such as atmospheric turbulence or imperfections in the lens. In addition, the formula is only applicable to point sources of light, so it may not accurately predict the resolution of extended objects. Nonetheless, the Airy Disc formula is a useful tool for understanding the behavior of light in optical systems.