raypaths
Raypaths are the trajectories followed by waves as they propagate through a medium whose properties vary in space. In uniform media, rays travel in straight lines; in media with spatial variations of refractive index or wave speed, rays bend according to the local gradient of those properties.
In optics, raypaths are determined by Fermat's principle, which states that the optical path length between
In seismology, raypaths describe the paths of seismic waves through the Earth's interior. The velocity structure
Computationally, raypaths are obtained by solving the ray equations numerically, often using the eikonal approximation or
Applications span optics design, atmospheric and underwater acoustics, radar and lidar propagation, and geophysical imaging. Raypaths