As is explained in other chapters of this book, one may consider light as a stream of particles. From this idea, it is possible to describe many aspects of light in terms of a field. A field is a region under the influence of some physical agency. Fields are not a form of matter. A field can be pictorally represented by a set of curves, often referred to as field lines. The density of these lines at any given point represents the strength of the field. Field lines are just trajectories.
The field concept is also used in a much wider conation, like e.g the morphic field, which organizes its characteristic structure and pattern activity. The light field is not an electromagnetic field. It may be regarded is a morphic field, a photic field, or a field of light rays.
The light field has some similarity to a fluid. Some aspects of hydrodynamics are discussed, although light is not a Bernoulli-fluid. Still, the continuity principle holds. Diffraction may be regarded as friction in the stream.
The main subject of this chapter is the discussion of the luminance of real and virtual objects. Based on the general definition of luminance, light tubes are discussed. This leads to the concepts of geometric flux and the throughput of light. Finally, the luminance of reflecting surfaces is discussed. A definition and the derivation of the luminance factor is given.
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(2008). The mathematics of luminance. In: Outdoor Lighting: Physics, Vision and Perception. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8602-1_4
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