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diffraction | | | | optics | | A wave-like property of light which allows it to curl around obstacles whose size is about that of the wavelength of the light. The disturbed waves then interfere to produce ripple-patterns. |
dispersion | | | | optics | | Resolution of white light into its component wavelengths, either by refraction or by diffraction. |
gravitational lensing | | | | optics | deflection of light | The bending of light caused by the gravity of an object lying between us and the light source. This may cause the light source to look brighter than it normally does. |
refraction | | Snell's law | | optics | | Deflection (or "bending") of light - or any ray as it passes from one medium into another of greater or lesser density, representing a change in overall speed of the ray. Refracting telescopes rely on the refraction of light through lenses. The refractive index of a medium (e.g., glass) is a measure of the medium's "bending" power. |
scattering | | | | atomic physics | world point | The process whereby light is absorbed and reemitted in all directions, with essentially no change in frequency. Scattering by free electrons was the dominant source of opacity in the early universe. |