Energy flow: Wave motion and geometrical optics

Exact geometrical optics and analytical investigations on motion

Frank Grave, 2, ∗ Michael Buser, Thomas Müller, Günter Wunner, and Wolfgang P. Schleich 1 1. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57 // IV, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany Visualisierungsinstitut der Universität Stuttgart, Universität Stuttgart, Nobelstraße 15, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany Institut für Quantenphysik, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany (Dated: Octob...

Exact and geometrical optics energy trajectories in twisted beams

Energy trajectories, that is, integral curves of the Poynting (current) vector, are calculated for scalar Bessel and Laguerre-Gauss beams carrying orbital angular momentum. The trajectories for the exact waves are helices, winding on cylinders for Bessel beams and hyperboloidal surfaces for Laguerre-Gauss beams. In the geometrical-optics approximations, the trajectories for both types of beam a...

Geometrical optics and chessboard pebbling

Recently Chung. Graham, Morrison and Odlyzko [l] studied some combinatorial and asymptotic enumeration aspects of chessboard pebbling. In this problem, we start with a single pebble, placed at the origin (0,O) of an infinite chessboard. At each step we remove a pebble from (i,j) and repIace it with two pebbles at positions (a + 1,j) and (i.j + I). provided the latter are unoccupied. After m ste...

Matrix Methods in Geometrical Optics

As well as the geometrical methods used for solving lens problems, and locating the size and position of images in optical systems, there is an alternate, perhaps more versatile, method involving matrix manipulation. Many of you will be familiar with the use of simple 2x2 matrices. Firstly, however, before I consider the use of matrices in optics, I will review the matrix solution of two simult...

Electromagnetic Scintillation I. Geometrical Optics