Abstract

General formulas are derived for the caustic surface and irradiance over an arbitrary receiver surface for point source radiation on collimated rays that are reflected or refracted by a curved surface. Specific formulas are obtained for light from a point source that is deflected by an ellipsoid, an elliptic paiaboloid, and an elliptic cone. As a numerical example caustic surfaces are calculated for a concave spherical surface and a concave paraboloid.

© 1973 Optical Society of America

Flux density for ray propagation in geometrical optics*

Donald G. Burkhard and David L. Shealy
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 63(3) 299-304 (1973)

Analytical illuminance and caustic surface calculations in geometrical optics

David L. Shealy
Appl. Opt. 15(10) 2588-2596 (1976)

Formula for the density of tangent rays over a caustic surface

Donald G. Burkhard and David L. Shealy
Appl. Opt. 21(18) 3299-3306 (1982)

Properties of caustics from conic reflectors. 1: Meridional rays

P. S. Theocaris
Appl. Opt. 16(6) 1705-1716 (1977)

Caustic surface analysis for a gradient-index lens

George L. Strobel and David L. Shealy
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 70(10) 1264-1269 (1980)