Breakdown of the isotropy of diffuse radiation as a consequence of its diffraction at multidimensional regular structures

Abstract

This article is devoted to the results of an experimental test of the theoretical assumption that the basic axiomatic postulate of statistical physics according to which it is equally probable for a closed system to reside in any of the microstates accessible to it may be invalid for nonergodic cases. In the course of photometric experiments for the purpose of recording the predicted loss of isotropy by a diffuse light field when it came into contact with a two-dimensional phase-type diffraction grating, a significant deviation from Lambert's law was detected when the diffuse photon gas was scattered by the grating surface. This caused angular anisotropy of the radiation fluxes to appear in the initially homogeneous light field. These results provide a basis for revising the determination of the most probable macrostate of a closed system.