Talk:Beam parameter product
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I forget: is BPP defined in terms of diameter or radius? This article asserts diameter, while the same author's contribution at Gaussian beam asserts radius. Anyone know offhand which is correct?
By the way, something to be aware of: for a Gaussian beam, waist size and divergence are radial quantities, defined as the radius at which the beam intensity falls to 1/e² of the peak value. This is different from the statistical measure used to calculate size and divergence of real beams. If the correct constant is chosen (two, I think), the two measures are equal for the special case of a Gaussian beam.--Srleffler 21:44, 19 March 2006 (UTC)