Ray Tracing

Grid Density: Points/Rings

Number of Rings/Y Grid Points

This is the total number of grid points along the radius (i.e. the number of rings) for a circular grid, or across the entire grid in the y direction for a rectangular or dithered rectangular grid. Specifying one for this value in a rectangular grid causes one row of rays to be generated. Specifying one for this value in a circular grid causes one ray to be generated at the center of the grid.

Number of X Grid Points

This is the total number of grid points across the entire grid in the x direction for a rectangular or dithered rectangular grid. Specifying one for this value causes one column of rays to be generated in a rectangular grid.

Total rays

When the Grid Pattern is set to Random, enter the total number of rays to be emitted for all wavelengths here. For other Grid Patterns, this is a calculated value and cannot be changed.

Flux

You can select Flux per Ray, Total Flux, or Total Irradiance. The Flux per Ray is the average flux per ray. It is a constant flux value for a uniform beam, and varies for a non-uniform beam. For a uniform beam the ray flux of each starting ray is equal to this number. For a non-uniform beam, each ray may have a different flux, but the average flux for all rays is approximately equal to this number.

The Total Flux is the total flux, in the selected units, to be emitted over all wavelengths. Thus the sum of the flux over all wavelengths will be equal to this number.

The Total Irradiance is the total irradiance (illuminance), in the selected units, to be emitted over all wavelengths. Thus the sum of the irradiance over all wavelengths will be equal to this number.

Origin of Grid

These are simply the x, y, and z coordinates of the center of the grid in the coordinate system of the model.

Orientation of Grid

The orientation of the grid is specified either by normal and up vectors or rotation angles.

Normal and Up Vectors

The normal vector specifies the direction that is perpendicular to the imaginary plane defining the grid. The up vector specifies the direction along which the local y-axis points as well as the direction along which the y dimension of the grid pattern and boundary are measured. You do not need to make the up vector perpendicular to the normal vector, and the vectors do not need to be unit vectors. For example, suppose you wish to emit rays from a plane at a 45 degree angle to

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the y and z-axes, with the up direction lying in the y-z plane. You could do this by entering, for example, the vectors shown in Table 5.5.

TABLE 5.5. Normal Vector with a 45 degree angle from both the y and z-axes.

Normal Vector			Up Vector
X	0	X		0
Y	1	Y		1
Z	1	Z		0

TracePro normalizes the normal vector (0, 1/√2, 1/√2), then the up vector is rotated to be perpendicular to the normal vector but still in the plane formed by the original normal vector and up vector. After rotation, the up vector is (0, 1/√2, -1/ √2). For more details see “Normal and Up Vectors” on page 1.12.

Euler Angles

The Euler angles specify rotation angles about the coordinate axes for orienting the grid. For rotation angles equal to zero, the grid has its normal in the global +z direction, the y dimensions of the boundary and grid are along the y-axis, and the x dimensions are along the x-axis. The three rotation angles allow you to modify the orientation of the grid by successive rotations about the x, y, and z-axes.

You can choose to enter the angles in radians or degrees. To get a grid that is oriented as in the previous example, you would enter an x Euler angle in degrees of -45°, with y and z equal to zero. Rotations obey the right-hand rule.

Beam Setup

Spatial Profile of Beam

The spatial shape of the beam can be either uniform (flat-topped) or Gaussian. If a Gaussian profile is chosen, you can enter the x and y waist radii of the beam to make an elliptical beam. To make a Gaussian with circular symmetry, enter the same number for both the x and y values. The x and y waist radii are the

distances from the peak of the beam to the 1/e2 value of the beam in each direction. The orientation of the elliptical Gaussian is determined by the Grid Position and Orientation values on the Grid Setup tab. The y value is measured along the Up vector or the local y-axis of the grid, and the x value is measured along the local x-axis of the grid, i.e. perpendicular to the local y-z plane.

If a Gaussian beam is chosen, it is truncated by the grid boundary. Also, TracePro generates rays out to the edge of the boundary. If the grid boundary is much

larger than the 1/e2 values of the beam, most of the rays are generated with absurdly low flux. If you do not wish this to happen, simply make the grid boundary smaller.

If a Gaussian beam is chosen, then a random grid is always used.

Spatial Weighting of Beam

The spatial beam shape can be:

•Uniform flux & weighted position

•Uniform position & weighted flux

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Uniform flux and weighted position — Each ray starts with a flux equal to the peak flux, but the starting position of each ray is chosen by using the distribution function. For a Gaussian beam, more rays will be started at the peak of the grid than near the low-flux regions, with the aggregate flux profile being the chosen functional distribution in shape.

Uniform position and weighted flux — The rays are distributed uniformly over the grid dimensions, but the flux of each ray is weighted by the spatial distribution function.

FIGURE 5.11 - Irradiance map for a circular Gaussian beam with uniform position and weighted flux. The starting points of the rays are distributed randomly, but the rays away from the peak have lower flux.

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FIGURE 5.12 - Irradiance map for a circular Gaussian beam with uniform flux and weighted position. The rays all start with the same flux, but more rays are generated near the peak of the Gaussian.

Spatial Dimensions of Beam

These dimensions are meaningful only for a non-uniform spatial beam profile. For a Gaussian spatial beam profile, the x and y radii define an elliptical Gaussian beam, i.e.,

E =	Epeake	– 2(x ⁄ x0)2	– 2(y ⁄ y0)2	(5.2)
			,

where x and y are the local or grid coordinate axes, E is the ray flux, Epeak is the peak flux and x0 and y0 are the elliptical 1/e2 radii. The grid y-axis is defined by

the grid position/orientation Up Vector, and the grid z-axis is defined by the Normal Vector. The grid x axis forms a right-handed coordinate system with the other axes.

Spatial X Waist Radius of Beam

This is the radius to the 1/e2 value of the beam along the grid x-axis,

E = Epeake–2(x ⁄ x0)2

,

(5.3)

where x0 is the waist radius.

Spatial Y Waist Radius of Beam

This is the radius to the 1/e2 value of the beam along the grid y-axis,

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E = Epeake–2(y ⁄ y0)2

,

(5.4)

where y0 is the waist radius.

Angular profile of beam

The angular profile of the beam can have a shape that is either uniform (i.e., forming a cone of rays), Gaussian, Lambertian or solar. The angular shape is centered on the beam direction.

A uniform beam has uniform intensity within the cone angle defining the beam, and zero outside it.

A Gaussian beam is Gaussian in profile, and the local x and y angles can be set independently to create an elliptical angular shape for the beam.

A Lambertian beam has intensity equal to,

I = I0 cosθ,

(5.5)

where θ = 0 is along the grid normal. The beam is truncated at the angular radius entered in the Half angle R entry.

A solar beam has angular profile equal to that measured for the sun. For this selection, TracePro ignores the entries for angular size and uses the measured angular size of the sun. The angular profile varies with the wavelength of light, so TracePro uses the wavelength currently being traced as entered in the Raytrace Options dialog box, Options tab. Data for the solar profile is taken from Astrophysical Quantities, Second Edition, Chapter 9, by C.W. Allen, The Athlone Press, London, ISBN: 0387987460 (1963).

Angular Weighting of Beam

This option is used only for nonuniform angular beam shape (i.e. Gaussian, Lambertian, or solar). The beam can be either:

•Uniform flux & weighted angle

•Uniform angle & weighted flux

Uniform flux and weighted angle means each ray starts with a flux equal to the peak flux, but the starting angle of each ray is chosen weighted by the angular distribution function.

Uniform position and weighted flux means that rays are distributed uniformly, but the flux of each ray is weighted by the angular distribution function.

For a Gaussian angular distribution, TracePro places an upper limit on the angular spread to avoid generating rays that have very low flux. The maximum angular size allowed is:

θmax = 2 θX2 + θY2 ,

(5.6)

where θX and θY are the half angles, which for a circular Gaussian beam, gives a minimum flux of e-16 or about 10-7 of the peak value.

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