User:Eromana/Scalar (optics)

In optics the solution for the optical disturbance is the wave equation solution to Maxwell's equations. The vector projection of that solution on to another axis direction is a scalar complex number. The photon absorption probability is the complex conjugate square of the scalar optical disturbance field distribution. The scalar optical disturbance Maxwell equation solution provides no explicit vector spatial information. Optical models choose a reference scalar directions. For example along the optical axis of an optical instrument entrance pupil as the wave front distance. The scalar approximation permits field optical disturbance superposition as a simple addition of complex numbers. For an optical instrument of focal length f in the scalar approximation optical diffraction between the pupil and the focal surface f  away are Fourier transform pairs. Eromana (talk) 18:50, 30 December 2009 (UTC)