Comparison of Diffraction Methods for Lunar Occultations

Abstract

The only analytical method, which is used for the mathematical analysis of lunar occultations, is the Fresnel diffraction. The Fresnel integral is derived from the diffraction integral of Kirchhoff under some approximations. This paper aims to compare this method with the exact solution of Sommerfeld, which is obtained for a perfect electric conductor half-plane. The geometrical optics and diffracted fields are expressed separately. Numerical simulations are given for the comparison of two different total and diffracted waves.