Diffraction Spot: The Beautiful Airy Disk

What is the alternative term used to refer to a diffraction spot?

A. Fraunhofer

B. Lens aberrations

C. Airy

Answer:

C. Airy

When light passes through a small aperture or encounters an obstacle, it spreads out and forms a pattern of bright and dark regions known as a diffraction pattern. The central bright region, often referred to as the diffraction spot, takes the shape of a disk. This disk-shaped pattern is known as an Airy disk, named after the British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy.

The Airy disk is a characteristic feature of diffraction and represents the central point spread function of an optical system. The size of the Airy disk is influenced by the wavelength of light and the aperture or obstacle through which the light passes. Therefore, the alternative term used to refer to a diffraction spot is "Airy," option (C).

In optical systems, minimizing the size of the Airy disk is desirable to achieve better resolution and image quality.