LEC- 4 GEOMETRIC OPTICS

Coma :
Definition : The effect of rays from an object point not situated on the axis of the lens results in an
aberration called coma. Comatic aberration is similar to spherical aberration in that both are due to the
failure of the lens to bring all rays from a point object to focus at the same point.

Difference with spherical aberration:

Spherical aberration refers to object points situated on the axis where as comatic aberration refers to
object point situated off the axis. In the case of spherical aberration, the image is a circle of varying
diameter along the axis and in the case of comatic aberration the image is comet shaped and hence the
name coma.

Fig : 1

Explanation:

Figure 1 illustrates the presence the effect of coma. The resultant image of a distant point off the axis is
shown on the right side of the figure. The rays of the light in the tangential plane are represented in the
figure

Figure 2 illustrates the presence of coma in the image due to a point object, O, situated of the axis of the
lens. Rays of light getting refracted through the centre of the lens meet the screen XY at the point P.
Rays 2,2; 3,3 etc getting refracted through the centre of the lens come to focus at Q, R, S etc. nearer the
lens and overlapping circular patches of gradually increasing diameter are formed in the screen. The
resultant image of the point is comet shaped as indicated on the right side of the figure.

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LEC- 4 GEOMETRIC OPTICS

Let 1, 2, 3 etc be the various zones of the lens as shown on figure 3. Rays of light getting refracted
through these different zones give rise to circular patches of light 1’, 2’, 3’ etc. the screen is placed
perpendicular to the axis of the lens and at the position where the central rays to come to focus.

Reasons :

Coma is the result of varying magnification for rays refracted through different zones of the lens for
example in figure 2 rays of light getting refracted through the outer zones come to focus at points nearer
the lens. Hence the magnification of the image due to the outer zones is larger than the inner zones and
in this case coma is said to be positive. On the other hand if the magnification produced in an image due
to the outer zones is smaller coma is said to be negative.

Reducing Factors:

Like spherical aberration, comatic aberration produced by a single lens can also be corrected properly
choosing the radii of curvature of the lens surface. Coma can be altogether eliminated for a given pair of
object and image points whereas spherical aberration can not be completely corrected. Further a lens
corrected for coma will not be free from spherical aberration and the one corrected for spherical
aberration will not be free from coma. Use of a stop or diaphragm at the proper position eliminates
coma.

According to Abbe, coma can be eliminated if a lens satisfies the Abbes sine condition

sin θ1=sin θ2 where , , θ1 refer to the refractive index, height of the object above the axis and the slope
angle of the incident ray of light respectively. Similarly, , θ2 refer to the corresponding quantities in the
image space. The magnification of the image is given by .

Therefore

Elimination of the coma is possible if the lateral magnification is the same for all rays of light,
irrespective of the slope angles θ1 and θ2. The coma can be eliminated if is constant since is a constant.
A lens that satisfies this condition is called aplanatic lens.

Astigmatism :
Definition :Astigmatism is similar to coma, is the aberration in the image formed by a lens of object
points off the axis.

Difference with coma:

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The difference between astigmatism and coma is that in coma the spreading of the image take place in a
plane perpendicular to the lens axis and in astigmatism the spreading takes place along the lens axis.

Explanation:

Fig illustrates the defect of astigmatism in the image of a point B situated off the axis. Two portions of
the cone of rays of light diverging from the point B are taken. The cone of the rays of light refracted
through the tangential plane BMN comes to focus at point P1 and the cone of light through the
horizontal plane (sagittal plane) come to focus at point P2 away from the lens. All rays pass through a
horizontal line passing through P1 is called the primary image and also through a vertical line passing
through P2 called the secondary image. The refracted beam has an elliptical cross section which ends to
a horizontal line a t P1 and a vertical line at P2. The cross section the refracted near is circular at some
point between primary and secondary images and this is called circle of least confusion.

If a screen is held perpendicular to the refracted beam between the point P1 and P2 the shape of the
image at different position is as shown in the following figure.

Reducing factor :

(I) The astigmatic difference is in opposite direction for a convex and concave lens. Hence by suitably
combining the two lenses to form a compound lens, astigmatism can be corrected to a large extent. Such
a combination is known as an astigmat.

(II) It can also be removed by using two plano-convex lenses separated by a suitable distance.

(II) It is also absent if the lens has surfaces of different horizontal and vertical curvatures. Such a lens
is called a toric lens.

DISTORTION :

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LEC- 4 GEOMETRIC OPTICS
Definition : The failure of the lens to form a point image due to a point object is due to the presence of
spherical aberration, coma and astigmatism. The variation in the magnification produced by a lens for
different axial distance results in an aberration called distortion.

This aberration is not due to the lack of sharpness in the image.

Distortion is of two types.

a. pin-cushion distortion.

b barrel shaped distortion.

In pin-cushion distortion, the magnification increases with increasing axial distance.

On the other hand, in barrel shaped distortion the magnification decreases with increasing axial
distance.

Object Pincushion high plus lens Barrel – high minus lens

Reducing Factor :

If a stop is placed before the lens the distortion is barrel shaped as shown in Fig.-3.23 (a) and if a stop is placed
after the lens the distortion in pin-cushion type as shown in Fig.-3.23 (b) .

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To eliminate distortion a stop is placed in between two symmetrical lenses.So that the pin-cushion
distortion produced by the first lens is compensated by the barrel-shaped distortion produced by the
second lens as shown in Fig.-3.23 (c