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physical phenomena > process > physical process > optical process > radiation modification > radiation direction modification
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radiation direction modification comparison table
Subject has time of occurrence obey has duration has domain has synonym has definition
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   opticsdeflection of lightThe 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 physicsworld pointThe 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.

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