Mathematics of Light Caustics

[ChowderMania2]

Koolz

[gaiatechnician]

Hi, I made a compound parabolic dish solar cooker which works great with a long cook time before it needs to be moved. Is it possible to model a caustic for a compound parabolic dish in 3 dimensions? I am most concerned with how it works when it is aimed off target on the sun. I am thinking of large stationary solar cookers dishes made from mud and alu foil in poor countries and aimed at the equinox sun and used to cook all year round at same time of day. Please Check my videos. Brian White

[geometryexpressions]

Hi,

I'll look at your videos, which are very interesting to me.  With Geometry Expressions, we can model the caustic in 2D, but not in 3D.

The thing with a parabola, is that the very fact that it does a great job of focussing on-axis rays means that off-axis rays get directed away from the focus, so you actually have a light void at the focus.

I'd be interested to discuss further - do you have any non-video web material for me to look at?

[d1mthe0]

awsome!