Light reflection from water surfaces perturbed by falling rain droplets

Abstract

An account of peculiar light patterns produced by reflection in a pool under falling rain droplets was recently reported by Molesini and Vannoni (2008 Eur. J. Phys. 29 403–11). The mathematical approach, however, only covered the case of a symmetrical location of a light source and the observer's eyes with respect to the vertical of the falling droplet. Extending such an account to asymmetrical configurations, a general solution for the reflection trails that are observed on the pool surface is presented.

Optical behavior of surface bubbles

“…The educational content is adequate for undergraduate students with an interest in optics and for computer simulation of physics phenomena. Along the line of similar activities [7][8][9], a potential application for the topic is within a physics project lab, where it can be proposed as an exercise aimed at strengthening the investigative skills and analysis capacity towards applied research.…”