Magic moment

Saturday 24 January 2015


I was playing with GeoGebra to see if I could model single slit diffraction with a large number of wavelets in a narrow slit. Was a bit tricky and had to adjust the line thickness and opacity, then this appeared.

Ripple tank simulation (GeoGebra)

After measuring the pattern it seems that, although there appears to be a central maxima with subsidiary maxima on both sides, the angle suggests that this is just the central maxima. Or maybe it's because the rays aren't parallel as they are in the usual approximation? More investigation required.


Wiggle wrench
25 Jan 2015
Fat films
23 Jan 2015