Features of the refraction of glancing light rays from optically less dense absorbing media

Abstract

A study is made of the refraction of glancing light rays at the interface of two optically homogeneous media, one of which is absorbing. Experimental data indicate an increase by several times in the flux of the refracted rays in the case of refraction of glancing rays from absorbing slabs. It is shown that the dispersion zone of deflection of the light rays partly transmits glancing rays in a transparent slab and can be opaque in weakly absorbing slabs. It is established that the increase in the intensity of the refracted beams is due to the more effective transformation of the glancing rays moving in the dispersion zone into refracted rays. Data are available on the dependence of the refracted flux on the relative refractive index.