Optical Modeling Software for Refraction, Focusing & Wavelength Dependence

[eustis26]

Greetings. I am attempting to model the path of light through different vessels containing water. For example, water in a test tube (pyrex), or water in a quartz cuvette. I am looking for a program which can handle the properties of the container (glass composition) and the medium (water). I am interested in the refraction, focusing, and wavelength dependence.

I welcome all suggestions for proper software for this purpose. I have a great deal of experience with ion optics software, but the optical modeling software is foreign to me.

Kind Regards,

Soren Eustis, Ph.D.
ETH - Zürich

 

[Redbelly98]

Welcome to Physics Forums.

From what I have heard, Zemax is a pretty standard optical ray tracing program: http://www.zemax.com/

Another option that (I thinkj) is free, is KDP-2 by Jim Klein: http://www.ecalculations.com/

I have not used either of these programs, I'm just going by what I have seen posted by others. It might also be useful to see what other discussions about Zemax have taken place at Physics Forums:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=zema...=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=6f78d0ffc1b1e58c

 

[mgb_phys]

There is also a freeversion of OSLO (http://www.lambdares.com/education/oslo_edu/ ) which is limited to 10 surfaces.
Not quite as pretty as zemax, but can do pretty much the same thing and you can't beat the price!

 

[Antiphon]

Look up ORA LightTools.