On optical characteristics of non-spherical scatterers
Abstract.
In these brief notes we consider expressions defining some
basic optical characteristics of non-spherical scatterers and
point out the differences between these expressions and those
for a more simple case of spherical particles.
1. Introduction
Electromagnetic radiation outside and inside any macroscopic body
can be described by the vectors
being the strengths of the electric and magnetic fields, respectively.
Usually one assumes that the radiation from a very distant source
is incident on a scatterer and
then this radiation can be represented by a plane wave
|
(1) |
where
is the wavenumber,
the radiation wavelength in the medium,
the vector
shows the direction of propagation of the wave,
is the complex unity, the radius-vector.
Here we introduce the spherical coordinate system
,
whose origin coincides with the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system
that will be used below,
are the unit vectors.
Any plane wave can be represented by a superposition of two totally
polarized waves - the TE and TM modes.
For the former, the vector of the electric field is parallel to a selected
plane, for the latter, it is perpendicular.
Besides that, one can consider only time-harmonic fields since any
field can be expended in Fourier series whose components can be treated
independently (see [1] for more details).
2. Scattering and Maxwell's equations
Scattering of electromagnetic radiation by an isolated macroscopic body
is fully described by Maxwell's equations with the corresponding
boundary conditions. In the general case
|
(2) |
|
(3) |
where
are the electric and magnetic
inductions, the density of free changes, their current density,
magnetization, and time,
the dielectric permittivity and
magnetic permeability of the medium surrounding the scatterer
(for vacuum
).
One can also introduce the material equations
|
(4) |
where are the conductivity and electric susceptibility.
The boundary conditions usually look as follows:
|
(5) |
where all points on the scatterer surface are considered,
is the external normal to ,
mean the incident radiation,
the field inside the scatterer,
the additional (scattered)
field appearing outside the scatterer.
For time-harmonic fields, from Eqs. (2)-(4) one can easily obtain
the wave equation.
For a spherically symmetric scatterer and a proper choice of the
spherical coordinate system one can separate the variables both
in the equation and the boundary conditions and obtain the solution
in the explicit form (so called Mie theory - see, e.g., [1]).
For a non-spherical scatterer of finite size such a separation is
impossible in any coordinate system and solution of the scattering
problem becomes more complicated (see, e.g., [2]). Here in contrast
with the case of spheres, the proper choice of the directions of the
axes of the Cartesian coordinate systems (there are usually two required
systems - the laboratory one and that connected with the scatterer)
plays in particular important role.
3. Amplitude matrix
If one considers the scattered field only in the far zone (),
it can be represented by a spherical wave (see [1] for more details)
|
(6) |
where
depend only on the direction of propagation of the scattered radiation.
For a scatterer of any shape, the linearity of Maxwell's equations leads
to a linear dependence of the fields: the incident and internal ones, and
the incident and scattered ones. In the second case, the relationship
can be written using the amplitude matrix
|
(7) |
Here to come to the standard form of Eq. (7), we include
the known radial dependence of the scattered field in the components
and so on.
The elements of the amplitude matrix on the directions of
propagation of the incident and scattered radiations, the size, morphology
and chemical composition of the scatterer as well as its orientation
in the laboratory system.
In the coordinate system connected with the particle, the choice
of the TE or TM mode (respectively,
or
are utilized) leads to two solutions for the scattered radiation
and
.
4. Scattering matrix
Another way to describe the electromagnetic fields is to use the Stokes vector
|
(8) |
connected with the field strengths as follows:
|
(9) |
The process of scattering described above by the amplitude matrix
can be also rewritten using the Stokes vectors
|
(10) |
where the elements of the scattering matrix
can be explicitly expressed via the elements of the amplitude matrix
(see [1] for more details).
For spheres, 10 out of 16 elements of the scattering matrix are
equal to zero, whereas for non-spherical scatterers it is generally
not the case, which can be important in applications (see, e.g., [3]).
5. Cross-sections and albedo
There are several characteristics of scattered radiation considered
in the far zone which are suitable and often used in applications.
For example, the extinction cross-section shows what
fraction of the incident flux is absorbed and scattered by a particle.
The product of the incident energy flux and this cross-section gives
the power removed from the incident beam as a result of its interaction
with the scatterer. This cross-section can be defined as follows:
|
(11) |
where is the scattering angle, i.e. the angle
between the directions of the incident and scattered radiation,
the unit vector parallel to
.
In the case of polarized incident radiation (see, e.g., [4])
|
(12) |
Here
is the
Stokes vector of the incident radiation
,
the positional angle of its polarization.
For spheres, obviously
|
(13) |
and
.
For the scatterer of an arbitrary shape but non-polarized incident radiation,
the expression (13) is also true.
The scattering cross-section shows what fraction of radiation is
scattered by a particle in all directions (the product of the incident
energy flux and this cross-section is equal to the total power of scattered
radiation)
|
(14) |
where
are the intensities
of the incident and scattered radiation, respectively.
From the energy conservation law, it follows that the absorption
cross-section is (see [1] for more details)
|
(15) |
The important parameter is the single scattering albedo
defined as the fraction of the scattered radiation in the total radiation
excluded from the incident beam
|
(16) |
for non-polarized incident radiation
|
(17) |
6. Asymmetry factor and radiation pressure
The intensity of radiation scattered in different directions
is proportional to the phase function.
For spheres, the phase function has the rotational symmetry
relative to the direction of propagation of the incident radiation.
For non-spherical particles, such a symmetry is generally absent.
Therefore, while for spheres the phase function asymmetry factor
(or
) is a scalar,
for non-spherical particles it is a vector with the components
(see also [5])
|
(18) |
where
is the direction of propagation
of the scattered radiation,
are the unit vectors of a Cartesian system.
The absence of symmetry in the spatial distribution of the
scattered radiation leads to the fact that the total recoil
of scattered photons is not directed along the direction
of propagation of the incident radiation.
Therefore, in contrast to the spheres, for non-spherical
particles the cross-section of radiation pressure is a vector too
|
(19) |
where is the distance between the scatterer and the radiation source.
For spheres,
|
(20) |
7. Absorption and re-emission
The absorption process can be described as follows:
|
(21) |
where
(
) is
the Stokes vector of radiation before (after) absorption.
Here the matrix
|
(22) |
makes the transition from the laboratory system to the
system connected with the scatterer, and
is the albedo matrix in the particle system
|
(23) |
Here
and
are
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(24) |
where
is the albedo of totally polarized radiation.
In the case of spherical particles instead of
one has multiplication by a number - the value of albedo.
In the case of re-emission of radiation, the Stokes vector
can be written in the particle system as follows:
|
(25) |
where
is the Plank function,
the temperature of dust grains.
References
[1] Bohren C.F., Huffman D.R. (1983)
Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles.
J.Wiley & Sons, New York.
[2] Mishchenko M.I., Hovenier J.W., Travis L.D. (2000)
Light Scattering by Nonspherical Particles.
Academic Press, San Diego.
[3] Gledhill T., McCall A. (2000) Mon. Not. Roy. Astr. Soc. 314, 123.
[4] Martin P.G. (1974) Astrophys.J. 187, 461.
[5] Draine B.T., Flatau (1997) Princeton Obs. Preprint POPe-695.
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