Coherent backscattering in the cross-polarized channel

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 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, Vol. 83, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.83.013829; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1050-2947
• 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
DENSITY
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PARTICLES
POLARIZATION
RANDOMNESS
SLABS
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
SYMMETRY
THICKNESS
CONFIGURATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIMENSIONS
EQUATIONS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING