Diffraction and Huygens sources

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of diffraction and its relationship to Huygens' principle. It is established that bending of waves occurs significantly when the aperture width approaches the wavelength of the propagating wave. Huygens' principle indicates that every point on a wavefront acts as a source of secondary wavelets, which contribute to the bending effect. The confusion arises from the expectation that diffraction should occur at all aperture sizes, but it is most pronounced at dimensions comparable to the wavelength.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of wave propagation principles
  • Familiarity with Huygens' principle
  • Basic knowledge of diffraction phenomena
  • Concept of wavelength in wave mechanics
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the mathematical formulation of Huygens' principle
  • Research the conditions for significant diffraction in various wave types
  • Investigate experimental setups demonstrating diffraction effects
  • Learn about the applications of diffraction in optics and acoustics
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Students of physics, educators in wave mechanics, and researchers interested in optical phenomena will benefit from this discussion.

gladius999
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Hello,

I'm pondering on why bending occurs most when the width of the aperture is close to the wavelength of the propagating wave. According to Huygen's principle, should'nt there be point sources around the edges of an aperture regardless of the width and thus the bending propagate to infinity at even the sharpest angles due to the semicircle of propagation of the point source?
 
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Sorry was there any confusion in my post?
 

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