Coherent backscattering in the cross-polarized channel

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.83.013829· OSTI ID:21537070

Mishchenko, Michael I ^[1]; Mackowski, Daniel W ^[2]

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1. NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, New York 10025 (United States)
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Alabama 36849 (United States)

We analyze the asymptotic behavior of the cross-polarized enhancement factor in the framework of the standard low-packing-density theory of coherent backscattering by discrete random media composed of spherically symmetric particles. It is shown that if the particles are strongly absorbing or if the smallest optical dimension of the particulate medium (i.e., the optical thickness of a plane-parallel slab or the optical diameter of a spherically symmetric volume) approaches zero, then the cross-polarized enhancement factor tends to its upper-limit value 2. This theoretical prediction is illustrated using direct computer solutions of the Maxwell equations for spherical volumes of discrete random medium.

• OSTI ID: 21537070
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 83; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
BACKSCATTERING
CONFIGURATION
DENSITY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIMENSIONS
EQUATIONS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLARIZATION
RANDOMNESS
SCATTERING
SLABS
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
SYMMETRY
THICKNESS