Geometric optics approximation for emissivity from triangular surfaces was compared with exact scattering predictions from electromagnetic theory. Rigorous electromagnetic scattering theory was numerically formulated based on the differential method. We have used a numerical simulation of the emissivity of gold and tungsten for a wavelength equal 0.55 micron to explore the validity of the geometric optics. Surface parameter domains for the regions of accuracy of the geometric optics approximation are quantified and presented as functions of surface slope and roughness. Influence on the validity of the approximate method of multiple scattering, the shadowing effect and the cavity effect of metallic surface have been investigated. For the latter, our interest was focused on the mechanism that enhances the emissivity of an interface when ruling a grating. It has been seen that the mechanism responsible for the enhancement of the emissivity depends very much on the period of the grating. For gratings with a period much smaller than the wavelength, the roughness essentially behaves as a transition layer with a gradient of the optical index. For different period / wavelength ratio, we have found a good agreement between the differential method and the homogenization regime when the period was smaller

We present in this paper a numerical study of the validity limit of the geometrical optics approximation compared with a differential method which is established according to rigorous formalisms based on the electromagnetic theory. The precedent studies show that this method is adapted to the study of diffraction by periodic rough surfaces. We determine by two methods the emissivity of gold and tungsten for surfaces with a rectangular or sinusoidal profile, for a wavelength equal to 0.55 microns. The monochromatic directional emissivity of these surfaces clearly depends on the angle of incidence, the surface profile, height, period and the nature of the material. We perform our calculations by a method of coupled wave analysis (CWA) and a geometric optics method (GOA). The latter method is theoretically valid only when the dimensions of the cavities are very large compared to the wavelength, while the CWA is theoretically correct whatever these dimensions. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the validity limit of GOA compared with CWA. The obtained results for a fixed height of the grating, allowed us to delimit the validity domain of the optic geometrical approximation for the treated cases. Finally, the agreement between the emissivity calculated by the differential method and that given on the basis of the homogenization theory is satisfactory when the period is much smaller than the wavelength.

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