Abstract

A method is proposed for obtaining information about the light distribution in an optical image. The characteristic function of the optical system is approximated by a polynomial, containing terms up to the fifth or seventh order. The coefficients of this function having been found, a large number (about 100) of rays from an object point are chosen, so that they are evenly spaced in the aperture of the system. By means of the function, the intersection points of the rays can be calculated in any desired image plane, to a close approximation. The intersection points were plotted, representing each ray by a small dot. The figures show that these plots are very similar to photographs of the image of a point light source. The image of a line element can be obtained by integration of a series of such figures.

© 1947 Optical Society of America

Analysis of Spot Diagrams*

M. Herzberger
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47(7) 584-594 (1957)

The Contributions of the Single Surfaces to the Diapoint Coordinates*

M. Herzberger
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 42(8) 544-546 (1952)

Image Error Theory for Finite Aperture and Field*

M. Herzberger and E. Marchand
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 42(5) 306-321 (1952)

Image Error Theory for Finite Aperture and FieldI. The Image of a Point; Geometry of the Wave Surface*,†

Max Herzberger
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38(8) 736-738 (1948)

A New Theory of Optical Image Formation*

M. Herzberger
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 26(5) 197-204 (1936)