Descartes ray
Descartes ray
[dā′kärt ‚rā] (optics)
A ray of light incident on a sphere of transparent material, such as a water droplet, which after one internal reflection leaves the drop at the smallest possible angle of deviation from the direction of the incident ray; these rays make the primary rainbow.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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