1967/09/01 by K. E. Torrance, E. M. Sparrow · 22 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Calibration and Measurement Techniques #Color Science and Applications #Optical Polarization and Ellipsometry
paper · doi:10.1364/josa.57.001105
The directional distribution of radiant flux reflected from roughened surfaces is analyzed on the basis of geometrical optics. The analytical model assumes that the surface consists of small, randomly disposed, mirror-like facets. Specular reflection from these facets plus a diffuse component due to multiple reflections and/or internal scattering are postulated as the basic mechanisms of the reflection process. The effects of shadowing and masking of facets by adjacent facets are included in the analysis. The angular distributions of reflected flux predicted by the analysis are in very good agreement with experiment for both metallic and nonmetallic surfaces. Moreover, the analysis successfully predicts the off-specular maxima in the reflection distribution which are observed experimentally and which emerge as the incidence angle increases. The model thus affords a rational explanation for the off-specular peak phenomenon in terms of mutual masking and shadowing of mirror-like, specularly reflecting surface facets.