THEORETICAL RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL SIMULATION OF TWO KINDS OF MIRAGE PHENOMENON MODELS

Total internal reflection of light is an important topic in physics education, and it gives rise to many phenomena and applications, such as total internal reflection prisms, corner cube prisms, optical fibers, etc., which play a significant role in daily life. Mirages are one of the natural phenomena caused by total internal reflection. A mirage is a very fascinating weather phenomenon, the principle of which is that under certain conditions, light rays are significantly refracted as they pass through layers of air with different densities, displaying distant objects in the air or on the ground. Mirages are generally divided into three types: superior mirages (upright images), inferior mirages (inverted images), and lateral mirages. This paper mainly studies superior and inferior mirages. Starting with the exponential function refractive index model, we derive the differential equation of light rays and present the trajectory of light in the atmosphere. Then, we provide an experimental simulation of superior mirages. In teaching, from a physical perspective, both theoretically and experimentally, this deepens the understanding and comprehension of this mysterious natural spectacle.