Chapter 8. Simulating Diffraction
Jos Stam Alias Systems
What Is Diffraction?
Most surface reflection models in computer graphics ignore the wavelike effects of natural light. This is fine whenever the surface detail is much larger than the wavelength of light (roughly a micron). For surfaces with small-scale detail such as a compact disc, however, wave effects cannot be neglected. The small-scale surface detail causes the reflected waves to interfere with one another. This phenomenon is known as diffraction.
Diffraction causes the reflected light from these surfaces to exhibit many colorful patterns, as you can see in the subtle reflections from a compact disc. Other surfaces that exhibit diffraction are now common and are mass-produced to create ...
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