Question

Two nearby objects are just resolved, if the principle maximum in the diffraction pattern of one coincides with

• A. principal maxima of other
• B. first minimum of the other
• C. half-way between principal maximum and first minimum.
• D. second maximum of the other

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

first minimum of the other

The Rayleigh criterion is the generally accepted criterion for the minimum resolvable detail - the imaging process is said to be diffraction-limited when the first diffraction minimum of the image of one source point coincides with the maximum of another.