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| author | hachem <im@hachem.wtf> | 2026-09-18 19:47:30 +0200 |
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| committer | hachem <im@hachem.wtf> | 2026-09-18 19:47:30 +0200 |
| commit | 908db452c4268f367e49b027b7e91fc60f5e0a86 (patch) | |
| tree | 48da5afa68d74273f95eea8d01f9c0ee5abc0bfd /docs/physics.md | |
| parent | 192faffb9537d2f30b625d900263f4c1b722ecfe (diff) | |
chore: update docs
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diff --git a/docs/physics.md b/docs/physics.md index 98807e1..d4599a8 100644 --- a/docs/physics.md +++ b/docs/physics.md @@ -1,37 +1,37 @@ -# The Physics of Donut +# the physics of donut -Everything Donut draws comes from tracing light backward through the curved -spacetime around a black hole. This document works through the physics and maths +everything donut draws comes from tracing light backward through the curved +spacetime around a black hole. this document works through the physics and maths of that trace, in roughly the order the shader applies it, with references to the code in [`assets/shaders/geodesic.slang`](../assets/shaders/geodesic.slang) — symbol names below (`InitRay`, `GeodesicRHS`, `DiskEmission`) all live in that file. -For the software side — how the shader gets fed, the render backends, the docking -UI and the export path — see [`architecture.md`](architecture.md). +for the software side — how the shader gets fed, the render backends, the docking +ui and the export path — see [`architecture.md`](architecture.md). -## Contents +## contents -- [Overview](#overview) -- [Units and scale](#units-and-scale) -- [The Schwarzschild metric](#the-schwarzschild-metric) -- [Null geodesics and conserved quantities](#null-geodesics-and-conserved-quantities) -- [The equations of motion](#the-equations-of-motion) -- [Numerical integration](#numerical-integration) -- [The three critical radii](#the-three-critical-radii) -- [The accretion disk](#the-accretion-disk) -- [Redshift, Doppler beaming and colour](#redshift-doppler-beaming-and-colour) -- [The impact parameter](#the-impact-parameter) -- [Observable channels](#observable-channels) +- [overview](#overview) +- [units and scale](#units-and-scale) +- [the schwarzschild metric](#the-schwarzschild-metric) +- [null geodesics and conserved quantities](#null-geodesics-and-conserved-quantities) +- [the equations of motion](#the-equations-of-motion) +- [numerical integration](#numerical-integration) +- [the three critical radii](#the-three-critical-radii) +- [the accretion disk](#the-accretion-disk) +- [redshift, doppler beaming and colour](#redshift-doppler-beaming-and-colour) +- [the impact parameter](#the-impact-parameter) +- [observable channels](#observable-channels) -## Overview +## overview -A black hole isn't drawn like ordinary geometry. For each pixel Donut casts a ray +a black hole isn't drawn like ordinary geometry. for each pixel donut casts a ray from the camera and follows it *backward* until one of four things happens: it crosses the event horizon, it strikes the accretion disk, it hits a placed object, -or it escapes to the background sky. Mass bends the path of light, so the rays +or it escapes to the background sky. mass bends the path of light, so the rays curve, and that one effect produces the whole picture: the dark shadow, the bright ring wrapped around it, the far side of the disk folded up over the top of the -hole, and the Doppler-brightened leading edge. +hole, and the doppler-brightened leading edge. ```mermaid flowchart LR @@ -47,22 +47,22 @@ flowchart LR G --> H ``` -## Units and scale +## units and scale -Donut works in geometric units, $G = c = 1$. Mass then carries units of length, -and the Schwarzschild radius reduces to +donut works in geometric units, $G = c = 1$. mass then carries units of length, +and the schwarzschild radius reduces to $$ r_s = \frac{2GM}{c^2} = 2M, \qquad\text{so}\qquad M = \frac{r_s}{2}. $$ -One number describes the hole. For Sagittarius A* the shader fixes it as +one number describes the hole. for sagittarius a* the shader fixes it as ``` static const float SagA_rs = 1.269e10; // metres (M ≈ 4.3×10⁶ M☉) ``` -Every distance the integrator handles is a physical length in metres, written as a +every distance the integrator handles is a physical length in metres, written as a multiple of `SagA_rs`, so the critical radii come out as constants: ``` @@ -70,16 +70,16 @@ R_PHOTON = 1.5 * SagA_rs // photon sphere (3M) R_ISCO = 3.0 * SagA_rs // ISCO (6M) ``` -The scene editor uses a friendlier grid. The constant `SCENE_UNITS_PER_RS = 3.0` +the scene editor uses a friendlier grid. the constant `SCENE_UNITS_PER_RS = 3.0` (in [`src/scene/scene_types.h`](../src/scene/scene_types.h)) sets three grid units -to one Schwarzschild radius. When the renderer hands a placed object to the shader +to one schwarzschild radius. when the renderer hands a placed object to the shader it scales the position by $r_s/3$ (the code's `SagA_rs / 3`) to get metres, so the editor and the simulation always agree on where things sit. -## The Schwarzschild metric +## the schwarzschild metric -Sgr A* is treated as a non-rotating, uncharged black hole, whose spacetime is the -exact Schwarzschild solution of Einstein's equations. In spherical coordinates +sgr a* is treated as a non-rotating, uncharged black hole, whose spacetime is the +exact schwarzschild solution of einstein's equations. in spherical coordinates $(t, r, \theta, \phi)$ the line element is $$ @@ -88,18 +88,18 @@ ds^2 = -\left(1-\frac{r_s}{r}\right)dt^2 + r^2\left(d\theta^2 + \sin^2\theta\, d\phi^2\right). $$ -The factor that keeps recurring is abbreviated +the factor that keeps recurring is abbreviated $$f(r) = 1 - \frac{r_s}{r},$$ -which is `float f = 1.0 - SagA_rs / r;` in the code. As $r \to r_s$, $f \to 0$ and -the metric coefficients diverge. That divergence is a coordinate artifact rather +which is `float f = 1.0 - SagA_rs / r;` in the code. as $r \to r_s$, $f \to 0$ and +the metric coefficients diverge. that divergence is a coordinate artifact rather than a real singularity, but it is why the integrator stops a ray once it reaches $r \le r_s$ instead of pushing through. -## Null geodesics and conserved quantities +## null geodesics and conserved quantities -Light follows null geodesics, the curves with $ds^2 = 0$. The metric has no +light follows null geodesics, the curves with $ds^2 = 0$. the metric has no explicit dependence on $t$ or $\phi$ (a time-translation symmetry and an axial rotation symmetry), so two quantities stay constant along every ray: @@ -126,16 +126,16 @@ own — one fewer equation per step. `L` is computed at initialisation as the ra angular momentum but isn't fed back into the equations of motion; the azimuthal motion is carried directly by $\dot\phi$. -For a null geodesic the affine parameter has an arbitrary overall scale, and the +for a null geodesic the affine parameter has an arbitrary overall scale, and the ray's shape — which is all the image depends on — doesn't change with it, so the exact normalisation of `E` is only a convention. -## The equations of motion +## the equations of motion -Marching a ray means solving the geodesic equation +marching a ray means solving the geodesic equation $\ddot x^\mu + \Gamma^\mu_{\alpha\beta}\dot x^\alpha \dot x^\beta = 0$ for the -Schwarzschild metric. `GeodesicRHS` writes it as a first-order system in the six -ray variables $(r,\theta,\phi,\dot r,\dot\theta,\dot\phi)$. The three positions +schwarzschild metric. `GeodesicRHS` writes it as a first-order system in the six +ray variables $(r,\theta,\phi,\dot r,\dot\theta,\dot\phi)$. the three positions advance by their velocities, $$\dot r,\qquad \dot\theta,\qquad \dot\phi,$$ @@ -159,11 +159,11 @@ $$ - 2\cot\theta\,\dot\theta\,\dot\phi. $$ -The terms are the Christoffel symbols of the metric. In $\ddot r$ the first term +the terms are the christoffel symbols of the metric. in $\ddot r$ the first term is the inward pull of gravity (it carries $\dot t^2$, hence the energy); the rest -are the centrifugal contributions from angular motion. The $\theta$ and $\phi$ +are the centrifugal contributions from angular motion. the $\theta$ and $\phi$ equations are the angular-momentum couplings that hold the ray to its orbital -plane and sweep it around the hole. The code is a direct transcription: +plane and sweep it around the hole. the code is a direct transcription: ``` d2.x = -(SagA_rs/(2r²))·f·dt_dL² + (SagA_rs/(2r²f))·dr² + r·(dtheta² + sin²θ·dphi²); @@ -171,19 +171,19 @@ d2.y = -2·dr·dtheta/r + sin(theta)·cos(theta)·dphi²; d2.z = -2·dr·dphi/r - 2·(cos/sin)(theta)·dtheta·dphi; ``` -## Numerical integration +## numerical integration -There is no closed form for a general ray, so the integrator advances it in steps. +there is no closed form for a general ray, so the integrator advances it in steps. -`RK4Step` takes one step. It evaluates `GeodesicRHS` once, advances the six -variables by `dL` times their rates, and recomputes the Cartesian position from -the new spherical coordinates. That is a single forward-Euler stage, despite the +`RK4Step` takes one step. it evaluates `GeodesicRHS` once, advances the six +variables by `dL` times their rates, and recomputes the cartesian position from +the new spherical coordinates. that is a single forward-euler stage, despite the name: only the first slope `k1` is evaluated, where a genuine fourth-order step -would also compute `k2`, `k3` and `k4` at intermediate points. Moving to real RK4 +would also compute `k2`, `k3` and `k4` at intermediate points. moving to real rk4 is the obvious accuracy upgrade; as it stands, almost all of the accuracy comes from the step-size control instead. -`CalculateAdaptiveStepSize` chooses the step length. A fixed step would waste time +`CalculateAdaptiveStepSize` chooses the step length. a fixed step would waste time far from the hole and lose the trajectory near it, so the step scales with distance from the photon sphere: @@ -192,34 +192,34 @@ $$ $$ with $\Delta_\text{min} = 10^6$ and $\Delta_\text{max} = 2\times10^{10}$ metres. -Far out, the ray is in near-flat space and crosses it in a handful of long -strides. Near the photon sphere, where the path bends hardest and mistakes show -the most, the step shrinks to follow the curve. A second clamp forces the step +far out, the ray is in near-flat space and crosses it in a handful of long +strides. near the photon sphere, where the path bends hardest and mistakes show +the most, the step shrinks to follow the curve. a second clamp forces the step down to the disk's half-thickness whenever the ray is near the disk plane, so a thin, nearly edge-on disk is never stepped straight over. -A ray's march ends on the first of these: +a ray's march ends on the first of these: -| Condition | Meaning | +| condition | meaning | | --- | --- | -| $r \le r_s$ (`Intercept`) | Fell through the horizon → shadow (black) | -| Crossed / entered the disk slab | Hit the opaque disk → emit its colour | -| `InterceptObject` (every 5 steps) | Hit a placed sphere → shade it | -| $r > $ `earlyExitDistance` ($2\times10^{12}$) | Left the rendered region → sample the sky | -| $\dot r > 0$ and $r > 50\,r_s$ | Outbound in flat space, direction frozen → sample the sky early | -| step count exceeds the budget | Up to `quality_steps` (default 15000, clamped 1000–15000) | +| $r \le r_s$ (`Intercept`) | fell through the horizon → shadow (black) | +| crossed / entered the disk slab | hit the opaque disk → emit its colour | +| `InterceptObject` (every 5 steps) | hit a placed sphere → shade it | +| $r > $ `earlyExitDistance` ($2\times10^{12}$) | left the rendered region → sample the sky | +| $\dot r > 0$ and $r > 50\,r_s$ | outbound in flat space, direction frozen → sample the sky early | +| step count exceeds the budget | up to `quality_steps` (default 15000, clamped 1000–15000) | -The step budget is the same whether the camera is moving or settled. At steep, +the step budget is the same whether the camera is moving or settled. at steep, strongly-lensed poses the disk only resolves with a high step count, so cutting it -during motion would make the disk flicker. Responsiveness during a drag comes from +during motion would make the disk flicker. responsiveness during a drag comes from the rendering resolution and sample count instead — a smaller target and one sample per pixel while moving, sharpening to full resolution and 4× supersampling once the camera settles (see [`architecture.md`](architecture.md#progressive-resolution-and-supersampling)). -## The three critical radii +## the three critical radii -Three radii set up everything you see: +three radii set up everything you see: ```mermaid flowchart LR @@ -229,39 +229,39 @@ flowchart LR end ``` -The **event horizon** at $r_s = 2M$ is the point of no return; the set of -directions whose rays end there is the black shadow. The **photon sphere** at +the **event horizon** at $r_s = 2M$ is the point of no return; the set of +directions whose rays end there is the black shadow. the **photon sphere** at $\tfrac{3}{2}r_s = 3M$ is where light can circle the hole on unstable orbits, so rays passing near it loop around once or more before escaping — this makes the thin -photon ring against the shadow and the folded multiple images of the disk. The -**ISCO** at $3r_s = 6M$ is the innermost stable circular orbit, inside which matter +photon ring against the shadow and the folded multiple images of the disk. the +**isco** at $3r_s = 6M$ is the innermost stable circular orbit, inside which matter can't hold a steady orbit; it is the disk's inner edge, and `DiskEmission` clamps the inner radius with `max(disk.disk_r1, R_ISCO)`. -## The accretion disk +## the accretion disk -Donut models the disk as a thin, opaque, self-luminous slab in the equatorial -plane ($y = 0$), not a volumetric cloud. A ray hits it the first time it crosses +donut models the disk as a thin, opaque, self-luminous slab in the equatorial +plane ($y = 0$), not a volumetric cloud. a ray hits it the first time it crosses the midplane (or grazes into the slab of half-thickness `disk.thickness`) inside the radial band $[r_\text{in}, r_\text{out}]$, and that surface's emission is the -pixel colour. The default band runs from $3\,r_s$ to $12\,r_s$. +pixel colour. the default band runs from $3\,r_s$ to $12\,r_s$. -A steady thin accretion disk radiates with a flux that rises from zero at the +a steady thin accretion disk radiates with a flux that rises from zero at the inner edge, peaks just outside it, and tails off with radius: $$ F(r) \;\propto\; \frac{1}{r^3}\left(1 - \sqrt{\frac{r_\text{in}}{r}}\right). $$ -This is the Novikov–Thorne / Shakura–Sunyaev thin-disk profile. Its peak sits at +this is the novikov–thorne / shakura–sunyaev thin-disk profile. its peak sits at $r/r_\text{in} \approx 1.36$ with value `FLUX_PEAK = 0.0569`, which normalises it. -A blackbody's flux goes as $T^4$ (Stefan–Boltzmann), so the local temperature is +a blackbody's flux goes as $T^4$ (stefan–boltzmann), so the local temperature is $$ T(r) = T_\text{peak}\left(\frac{F(r)}{F_\text{peak}}\right)^{1/4}, $$ -where $T_\text{peak}$ is the tunable `disk.temperature`, 4800 K by default: +where $T_\text{peak}$ is the tunable `disk.temperature`, 4800 k by default: ``` flux = max((1 - sqrt(1/xr)) / (xr*xr*xr), 0); xr = rc / r_in @@ -269,26 +269,26 @@ Tn = pow(flux / FLUX_PEAK, 0.25); // normalised temperature, peak Temit = disk.temperature * Tn; ``` -An optional turbulence overlay (the `turbulence` parameter, `disk.disk_num`) -modulates the brightness with animated fractal noise to suggest churning gas. It +an optional turbulence overlay (the `turbulence` parameter, `disk.disk_num`) +modulates the brightness with animated fractal noise to suggest churning gas. it never changes the fact that the disk is an opaque surface. -## Redshift, Doppler beaming and colour +## redshift, doppler beaming and colour -The disk is hot gas on relativistic orbits, deep in the gravity well. Two effects +the disk is hot gas on relativistic orbits, deep in the gravity well. two effects shift its light on the way to the camera, and both collapse into a single redshift factor $g$ (observed frequency over emitted). -The gas moves on prograde circular geodesics. For Schwarzschild, the locally +the gas moves on prograde circular geodesics. for schwarzschild, the locally measured orbital speed is $$ v = \sqrt{\frac{M}{r - 2M}} = \sqrt{\frac{r_s/2}{r - r_s}}, $$ -which is exactly $0.5\,c$ at the ISCO. The velocity vector is -$\boldsymbol\beta = v\,\hat\phi$, tangent to the orbit. Combining the gravitational -and time-dilation shift of a circular orbit with the relativistic Doppler shift +which is exactly $0.5\,c$ at the isco. the velocity vector is +$\boldsymbol\beta = v\,\hat\phi$, tangent to the orbit. combining the gravitational +and time-dilation shift of a circular orbit with the relativistic doppler shift from that motion gives $$ @@ -296,13 +296,13 @@ g = \frac{\sqrt{\,1 - \tfrac{3}{2}\,\dfrac{r_s}{r_c}\,}}{1 - \boldsymbol\beta\cd $$ where $\hat n$ points along the photon toward the observer and $r_c$ is the -cylindrical radius of the emission point. The numerator is the gravitational part +cylindrical radius of the emission point. the numerator is the gravitational part (it vanishes at the photon sphere $r_c = \tfrac{3}{2}r_s$, where even orbiting -light is infinitely redshifted); the denominator is the Doppler part, which +light is infinitely redshifted); the denominator is the doppler part, which brightens and blueshifts the side turning toward the camera and dims and redshifts -the receding side. As a check, $g \to \sqrt{1/2}$ at the ISCO, matching the code. +the receding side. as a check, $g \to \sqrt{1/2}$ at the isco, matching the code. -Two things follow from $g$, both physical: +two things follow from $g$, both physical: $$ T_\text{obs} = g\,T_\text{emit} @@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ I_\text{obs} = g^4\,I_\text{emit} \qquad\text{(relativistic beaming)}. $$ -The colour is the Planckian blackbody colour at the observed temperature, -`Blackbody(g · Temit)`, using a Tanner-Helland fit to the Planckian locus. The +the colour is the planckian blackbody colour at the observed temperature, +`Blackbody(g · Temit)`, using a tanner-helland fit to the planckian locus. the brightness keeps the physical $g^4$ beaming — the real approaching/receding asymmetry — while the enormous $T^4$ radial range is compressed to $T_n^2$ for display, so the colour gradient across the disk stays visible instead of collapsing @@ -324,15 +324,15 @@ bright = pow(Tn, 2.0) * pow(g, 4.0) * edge; // edge = soft inner/outer falloff colour = Blackbody(g * Temit) * bright; ``` -That $T_n^2$ in place of the physical $T_n^4 = F$ is the one intentional +that $T_n^2$ in place of the physical $T_n^4 = F$ is the one intentional concession to legibility; the rest of the disk model is the genuine relativistic result. -## The impact parameter +## the impact parameter -A ray's impact parameter $b$ is the perpendicular distance from the hole's centre +a ray's impact parameter $b$ is the perpendicular distance from the hole's centre to the straight line the ray would have followed with no gravity — the quantity -that sets how strongly it deflects. Donut reads it straight off the camera geometry +that sets how strongly it deflects. donut reads it straight off the camera geometry (in units of $r_s$): $$ @@ -340,30 +340,30 @@ b = \frac{\lVert \mathbf{r}_\text{cam} \times \hat d\,\rVert}{r_s}, $$ with $\mathbf{r}_\text{cam}$ the camera position relative to the hole and $\hat d$ -the pixel's ray direction. Rays whose $b$ is near the critical value (about +the pixel's ray direction. rays whose $b$ is near the critical value (about $\tfrac{3\sqrt3}{2}r_s$) are the ones that skim the photon sphere and build the ring. -## Observable channels +## observable channels -The renderer already computes these physical quantities while tracing, so it can -output them directly instead of only the final colour. The shader's `outputChannel` +the renderer already computes these physical quantities while tracing, so it can +output them directly instead of only the final colour. the shader's `outputChannel` picks which quantity each pixel reports, and `rawOutput` picks whether to write the raw floating-point value (for analysis) or a false-coloured / tone-mapped version (for viewing): -| Channel | Quantity | Notes | +| channel | quantity | notes | | --- | --- | --- | -| 0 | Colour | The final tone-mapped HDR radiance — the normal image | -| 1 | Redshift $g$ | Disk pixels only; validity flagged in alpha | -| 2 | Emission temperature $T_\text{emit}$ (K) | Disk pixels only; validity in alpha | -| 3 | Impact parameter $b$ ($r_s$) | A per-ray geometric quantity, defined everywhere | +| 0 | colour | the final tone-mapped hdr radiance — the normal image | +| 1 | redshift $g$ | disk pixels only; validity flagged in alpha | +| 2 | emission temperature $T_\text{emit}$ (k) | disk pixels only; validity in alpha | +| 3 | impact parameter $b$ ($r_s$) | a per-ray geometric quantity, defined everywhere | -The raw channels are what make the export usable as data rather than just imagery; +the raw channels are what make the export usable as data rather than just imagery; [`architecture.md`](architecture.md#the-export-pipeline) covers how they are -rendered off-screen and written to PFM or CSV. +rendered off-screen and written to pfm or csv. --- -See also [`architecture.md`](architecture.md) for how the renderer is built, from -the portable GPU layer up through the panels and the export pipeline. +see also [`architecture.md`](architecture.md) for how the renderer is built, from +the portable gpu layer up through the panels and the export pipeline. |
