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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
08:36
An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Setup to Investigate the Reactive Species Formation
Published on: November 3, 2016
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Summary
Atmospheric coronas, seen around the Sun or Moon, are explained by diffraction. This study uses Mie theory to show inner red rings
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric optics
- Optical physics
- Radiative transfer
Background:
- The atmospheric corona is a diffraction phenomenon producing colored rings around the Sun or Moon.
- Fraunhofer diffraction theory partially explains the corona, relating ring size to particle radius.
- Estimating particle size from corona observations is complicated by scattering effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between particle size and corona ring dimensions.
- To refine particle size estimation methods for atmospheric coronas.
- To demonstrate the applicability of Mie theory for analyzing corona phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Simulations using Mie theory.
- Analysis of diffraction patterns.
- Mathematical modeling of light scattering by spherical particles.
Main Results:
- Mie theory simulations accurately model the atmospheric corona.
- The inner three red rings exhibit specific angular radii: θ≈16/r, 31/r, and 47/r.
- Angular radii are inversely proportional to particle radius (r) in micrometers (μm).
Conclusions:
- Mie theory provides a more accurate explanation of atmospheric coronas than Fraunhofer diffraction alone.
- The derived formulas allow for more precise estimation of particle sizes causing coronas.
- This research contributes to understanding atmospheric optics and light scattering phenomena.
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