For being such an iconic and easy to understand phenomena, Rainbows have long been difficult to simulate mathematically. The recently meme’d double-rainbow has long been missing from most simulations, but thanks to some recent discoveries by researchers at UC San Diego, they may now be simulation reality.
Until now, most simulations of rainbows had assumed that water drops are spherical, which isn’t true for large rain drops, Laven says. In this paper, researchers have adopted a completely different approach and developed a more realistic model to recreate rainbows, he says.
“The simulations shown in this paper offer the prospect of a better understanding of real rainbows,” Laven says. “I hope that the next step will be to use these new techniques for a systematic investigation of rainbows caused by realistically shaped rain drops.”
via Laboratory Equipment – Realistic Simulations Explain Physics of Rainbows.
My mum use to tell me that rainbows were gods promise to use not to cause a flood again, now I know better:-)
I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be
cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a
flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This
is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every
living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I
will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living
creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”