Assumptions de Characteristic of the Airy shape
  • Spherical, non-porous and opaque particles,
  • Diameter d > wavelength l,
  • Particles are distant enough from each other,
  • Random motion,
  • All the particles diffract the light with the same efficiency, regardless of.
 
Principle  
  • circular,
  • consisting in concentric rings I = f (a),
  • spacing and size of the rings are linked to the particle size,
  • the fist zero angle is related to the diameter d by 1.22 l/d,
  • 75% of the total energy is concentrated in the first lobe.
 
         
Aspect of the diffraction pattern with respect to the particle size   The observation of the diffraction pattern at finite distance is done through a lens (L) placed between the laser source and the detector
 
System
for a large particle
System
for a small particle
 
  • The diffraction patterns of particles having the same size converge at the same point whatever them location with respect to the lens,
  • The first zero on the detector is 1.22 lf/d where f is the focal length.