Anomalous interference pattern in the penumbra region of optical Gaussian beam diffraction on a metallic cylinder

The diffraction pattern in the penumbra region from a metallic cylinder of radius p illuminated by a focused Gaussian beam waist of the half-width w approximately rho is experimentally studied. The observed correlation of band structure distortions in the diffraction pattern with calibrated deformations of the Gaussian beam by an opaque obstacle (which is called a label) is considered to be anomalous from the viewpoint of wave (interference) phenomena. The alternative (corpuscular) interpretation of diffracted light distribution, which is represented as a bundle of partially overlapping noninterfering beams propagating in discrete directions and preserving geometric similarity to the disturbed incident beams, is discussed.