What Does the Rayleigh Criterion Reveal About Image Resolution?

[lha08]

Homework Statement

I'm not sure but what exactly does the Rayleigh Criterion mean? Also, what does it mean when they say the "resolution" of the image...?
Thanks.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[nickjer]

No matter how good your instrument is there will be diffraction. So your image will be smeared a bit. Well if you have two images fairly close to each other you won't be able to resolve both of them if they lie too close to each other, since they are smeared a bit they will look like one image. The Rayleigh criterion defines how close the images can be together that you can still distinguish between the both of them.

 

[nlightner]

The Rayleigh Criterion is a principle in optics that states that two objects can be distinguished as separate if the center of the diffraction pattern of one object coincides with the first minimum of the diffraction pattern of the other object. In simpler terms, it means that two objects can be resolved or seen as separate if the distance between them is larger than the diameter of their diffraction patterns. This criterion is important in determining the resolution of an optical instrument, which refers to the ability to distinguish between two closely spaced objects. In other words, the resolution of an image is the smallest distance between two objects that can still be seen as separate in the image. The Rayleigh Criterion helps scientists and engineers design and improve optical instruments to achieve higher resolution and better image quality. I hope this helps clarify the concept for you.