Shadow analysis

Shadow analysis is the study of how an opaque object's shadow affects the surrounding environment based upon the sun's position (time of day), and the time of year.

Shadow map
A shadow map is a map showing areas of shadows on a horizontal plane (ground) over time.

Tools
In ArcGIS for Desktop there is the Sun Shadow Volume tool found within the ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension. This tool creates closed volumes that model shadows cast by each feature using sunlight for a given date and time.