Intensity by cylindrical light source

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SUMMARY

The intensity produced by a long cylindrical light source at a distance r is proportional to 1/r, as derived from the relationship between rays and area. For a cylindrical source, the rays spread out over a cylindrical area of 2πrh, leading to this linear relationship. In contrast, a point source emits intensity proportional to 1/r² due to the spherical area coverage. When considering a finite cylindrical source, the intensity behaves as a mixture of point source and cylindrical source characteristics, necessitating integration for precise calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of photometry and intensity calculations
  • Familiarity with cylindrical geometry and area calculations
  • Basic knowledge of integration techniques
  • Ability to apply solid angle concepts in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of photometry, focusing on intensity and luminous flux
  • Learn about the integration of functions to calculate intensity from a finite cylindrical source
  • Explore the differences between point source and cylindrical source intensity distributions
  • Investigate the application of solid angles in light intensity calculations
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Physics students, optical engineers, and anyone involved in the study of light intensity and its applications in photometry.

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Homework Statement


The intensity produced by a long cylindrical light source at a small distance r from the source is proportional to
a)\frac{1}{r^2}
b)\frac{1}{r^3}
c)\frac{1}{r}
d)None of these


Homework Equations


I=\frac{dF}{dω}
I is the intensity, dF is the luminous flux of the radiation emitted by the source in a small cone of solid angle dω constructed around the given direction.

The Attempt at a Solution


I have absolutely no idea on where to begin with. I know this would involve integration but i am clueless on how to form the integral. Any help is appreciated!
 
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Hi Pranav-Arora! :smile:

Why integrate? :confused:

Just draw the field-lines! :wink:
 
tiny-tim said:
Hi Pranav-Arora! :smile:

Why integrate? :confused:

Just draw the field-lines! :wink:

Hi tiny-tim! :smile:

My book doesn't mention about the field lines but i suppose they would look like as shown in the attachment. Sorry, if that's wrong because my book has a very small chapter on Photometry and i have learned this on my own.
 

Attachments

  • intensity.png
    intensity.png
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Hi Pranav-Arora! :smile:
Pranav-Arora said:
… i suppose they would look like as shown in the attachment.

Yup! :biggrin:

ok, so how much do they spread out at distance r?

(btw, do the same for the field lines of a point source, just for comparison :wink:)
 
tiny-tim said:
ok, so how much do they spread out at distance r?

The intensity should decrease with the distance r but you ask about field lines here, i can't really visualize.
 
Sorry, I don't know why I called them the field lines, I meant the rays. :redface:

Intensity is proportional to rays per area.

For a point source, the same rays cover a sphere of area 4πr2 for any distance r,

and so the intensity (rays per area) is proportional to 1/r2 (usual result!)​

Similarly, for a line source, use a cylinder, and you get … ? :smile:
 
tiny-tim said:
Intensity is proportional to rays per area.
Thanks for that link. :smile:

tiny-tim said:
Similarly, for a line source, use a cylinder, and you get … ? :smile:

I guess I get it now. The rays will cover a cylinder of area 2\pi rh (h is the height of cylinder) and therefore the intensity is proportional to 1/r. Right? :smile:

What if the cylindrical source is of finite length?
 
Pranav-Arora said:
The rays will cover a cylinder of area 2\pi rh (h is the height of cylinder) and therefore the intensity is proportional to 1/r. Right? :smile:

S'right!:smile:
What if the cylindrical source is of finite length?

Then the rays are a sort of mixture of point source at the ends, and cylinder source in the middle.

The closer you are, and the closer you are to the middle, the nearer the intensity is proportional to 1/r. :wink:

(but in that case there's no easy way, and you certainly would need to integrate!)
 
tiny-tim said:
(but in that case there's no easy way, and you certainly would need to integrate!)
I expected it. But i am clueless on how to consider a small part and find its intensity.
 
  • #10
consider a small length dx, find the intensity from that (at a given point P), and integrate over all values of x from 0 to L
 
  • #11
tiny-tim said:
consider a small length dx, find the intensity from that (at a given point P), and integrate over all values of x from 0 to L

Haha, i guess my question wasn't clear enough. :biggrin:
That was the first thought came into my mind but then i got stuck at finding intensity. I know i have completed the chapter on Photometry but i am still a dumb at applying the formulas. How should i find the intensity? Should i use the "relevant equations" posted by me? :smile:

Even if i use the equation posted by me, i am having difficulty finding F as function of solid angle, ω.
 
  • #12
Bump.
 
  • #13
Pranav-Arora said:
How should i find the intensity? Should i use the "relevant equations" posted by me? :smile:

Even if i use the equation posted by me, i am having difficulty finding F as function of solid angle, ω.

the intensity, from a point source, at distance r and solid angle ω is proportional to ω/r2 :smile:
 

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