Tilt-invariant theory of rough-surface scattering: I

Abstract

The small-slope approximation (SSA) in rough-surface scattering theory uses the surface slope as a small parameter of expansion. But, from the physical point of view, the slope may not be a restrictive parameter because we can change the slope of a surface simply by tilting the coordinate system. We present the theory of rough-surface scattering in a coordinate-invariant form. The new method, tilt-invariant approximation (TIA), leads to a different expansion that does not require that the slope of a surface be small. For a small Rayleigh parameter this approximate solution provides the correct perturbation theory, for a large Rayleigh parameter it provides the Kirchhoff approximation with several correcting terms.     

Pomraning-Eddington approximation for radiative transfer in a spherical turbid medium

Abstract

The Pomraning-Eddington approximation is used to solve the radiative transfer problem for anisotropic scattering in a spherical homogeneous turbid medium with diffuse and specular reflecting boundaries. This approximation replaces the radiative transfer integro-differential equation by a second-order differential equation which has an analytical solution in terms of the modified Bessel function. Here, we calculate the partial heat flux at the boundary of anisotropic scattering on a homogeneous solid sphere. The calculations are carried out for spherical media of radii 0.1, 1.0 and 10 mfp and for scattering albedos between 0.1 and 1.0. In addition, the calculations are given for media with transparent, diffuse reflecting and diffuse and specular reflecting boundaries. Two different weight functions are used to verify the boundary conditions. Our results are compared with those given by the Galerkin technique and show greater accuracy for thick and highly scattering media.     

Microwave propagation and scattering in a dense distribution of non-tenuous spheres: experiment and theory

Abstract

Controlled laboratory experimental results of coherent microwave propagation through a random medium are reported. The medium consisted of layers of styrofoam with spherical glass beads embedded at predetermined random positions generated by computer. The magnitude and phase of the transmitted field was measured over the frequency range 18-20.4 GHz for media with volume fractional densities ranging from 0.5% to 11%. The results are compared with independent scattering, Foldy's approximation, and the quasicrystalline approximation (QCA) using the solution of the Percus-Yevick (PY) equation for the pair distribution function. The effects of a size distribution are included. Experimental results indicate that at low densities, the measured extinction rate increases linearly with concentration in agreement with independent scattering. As concentration further increases, the extinction curve turns convex and is lower than independent scattering. However, it is higher than that predicted by QCA-PY. Using the known particle positions the authors have also computed the pair correlation function and good agreement is obtained with the Percus-Yevick approximation.     

Theory of Raman light scattering by nanocrystal acoustic vibrations

A theory of Raman scattering of light by acoustic phonons in spherical nanocrystals of zinc-blende and wurtzite semiconductors has been developed with the inclusion of the complex structure of the valence band. The deformation-potential approximation was used to describe the exciton-phonon interaction. It is shown that this approximation allows only Raman scattering processes involving spheroidal acoustic phonons with a total angular momentum F=0 or 2. The effect of phonon quantum confinement on linewidth in Raman scattering spectra and scattered polarization is analyzed. An expression for the shape of the spectral line corresponding to nonresonant scattering from F=0 phonons was obtained. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1473–1483 (August 1999)     

On the validity of some new acoustic scattering approximations

Abstract

Two new approximations for predicting the elastic scattering of plane acoustic waves by a weak scatterer are proposed. The approximations have been obtained by drawing an analogy between acoustic and light scattering problems. The validity of these approximations has been examined numerically for the exactly soluble case of scattering by a homogeneous sphere. Results show that for small angle scattering the proposed approximations have a considerably larger domain of validity in comparison to the extensively used Born approximation.     

Pomraning–Eddington approximation for radiative transfer in a homogeneous solid cylinder

Abstract

The radiative transfer in a solid cylinder containing a homogeneous turbid medium with anisotropic scattering is considered. The medium has a diffuse and specular reflecting boundary illuminated by an external incidence and contains an internal energy source. This general problem can be solved in terms of the solution of the corresponding source-free problem with a specular reflecting boundary and isotropic external incidence. The Pomraning–Eddington approximation is used to solve the source-free problem. Three different weight functions are used to verify the boundary condition to find the constants of the solution. The partial flux, the irradiance and the net flux at the boundary for the general problem are calculated.     

On the high-frequency limit of the second-order small-slope approximation

Abstract

Small-slope approximation (SSA) is a scattering theory that is supposed to unify both the small-perturbation model and the Kirchhoff approximation (KA). We study and compute the second-order small-slope approximation (SSA2) in a high-frequency approximation (SSA2-hf) that makes it proportional to the first-order term, with a roughness-independent factor. For the 3D electromagnetic problem we show analytically that SSA2-hf actually meets KA in the case of perfectly conducting surfaces. This no longer holds in the dielectric case but we give numerical evidence that the two methods remain extremely close to each other for moderate scattering angles. We discuss the potential applications of SSA2-hf and give some 2D numerical comparison with rigorous computations.     

An approximate expression for the galvanomagnetic tensor

Using the iterative solution to the Boltzmann equation for electrons in d.c. electric and magnetic fields, an expression for the resistivity tensor can be obtained in the form of an infinite series. This series can be approximated by retaining only the first two terms. In the cases where relaxation times exist — in the sense that the collision term in the Boltzmann equation can be written asg(k)/τ(k), whereτ(k) is the relaxation time, andf (k) = f _E(ɛ k) + [∂f _E(εk)/∂ε]·g(k) the distribution function for electrons with wavevectork — this approximation is exact. For polyvalent metals in the one-OPW approximation, the complete galvanomagnetic tensor can be obtained using this approximation and the result differs from that obtained by using a time of relaxation given by an expression suggested byZiman. A calculation for a simple model Fermi surface, with screened Coulomb scattering, is carried out and the results compared with those of the relaxation time approximation.     

Scattering of spin waves by a rectilinear edge dislocation

The propagation of volume spin waves in an unbounded easy-axis magnet containing a rectilinear edge dislocation is studied theoretically. The spin-wave scattering amplitudes are calculated in the Born approximation. It is shown that the spin-wave scattering amplitude vanishes for certain values of the scattering angle. The dependence of the scattering angle on the angle of incidence of the spin waves is found for this case. The transport scattering cross section of spin waves is found. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 2056–2058 (November 1998)     

Electron density of states and electrical conductivity of ordered alloys: Extension beyond the single-band approximation, taking into account scattering by clusters

A method is developed for going beyond the single-band approximation and taking into account scattering by clusters. The method is based on a cluster expansion of the averaged Green’s function of the alloy. It is shown that the contributions of scattering processes diminish with respect to a certain small parameter as the number of particles in the cluster increases. The prominent characteristics of the electronic structure and electrical conductivity of ordered alloys are analyzed numerically in the diagonal disorder approximation in the multiband s-d model. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 401–411 (March 1997)     

Universal behaviour of scattering amplitudes for scattering from a plane in an average rough surface for small grazing angles

Abstract

It is shown that for scattering from a plane in an average rough surface, the scattering cross section of the range of small grazing angles of the scattered wave demonstrates a universal behaviour. If the angle of incidence is fixed (in general it should not be small), the diffusive component of the scattering cross section for the Dirichlet problem is proportional to θ² where θ is the (small) angle of elevation, and for the Neumann problem it does not depend on θ. For the backscattering case these dependences correspondingly become θ⁴ and θ°. The result is obtained from the structure of the equations that determine the scattering problem rather than by use of an approximation.     

A heuristic model approximation for scattering from perfectly conducting one-dimensional random rough surfaces

Abstract

We propose a model for scattering from one-dimensional, perfectly conducting, slightly rough surfaces. A possible method for solving the scattering equations is examined which, with some assumptions, suggests the final result. The approximation is relatively simple and is comparable in computational effort with most first-order theories. We compare the bistatic scattering cross section for TE waves predicted by the present model for Gaussian randomly rough surfaces with numerical simulations and with some first-order theories. The comparison shows that the model is remarkably accurate for slightly rough surfaces and TE polarization.     

Acoustic and radar scattering from directional seas

Abstract

The small-slope approximation is applied to predict acoustic and electromagnetic scattering from directional seas. Results are presented for the scatter of high-frequency fields from fetch-limited seas for which the wavenumber spectrum is isotropic at high wavenumbers but highly directional near the spectral peak. Monostatic backscatter is found to display an upwind-crosswind dependence for a broad range of scattering angles due solely to the directionality of the large-scale waves.     

Linear approximation in classical scattering by a moliégre potential

Abstract

In the context of a Monte Carlo simulation of channeling, it is shown how the scattering angle of an ion by a Molière potential can be calculated by linear interpolation. In the case of impulse approximation, this reduces the computing time to ?1/17 of that needed by the usual procedure.

The maximum error introduced by the linear approximation is calculated as a function of the interval width used for interpolation. Using Firsov's inversion formula, the corresponding approximation to the atomic potential is also evaluted. It is shown that such approximation is very good, if compared with the present knowledge of atomic potential.     

Transverse runaway of hot electrons and the electron-temperature approximation

This paper discusses the transverse runaway effect in the electron-temperature approximation. The combinations of scattering mechanisms and the corresponding threshold electric fields for which transverse runaway develops are determined. It is shown that the transverse-runaway effect is not associated with any approximation. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 688–692 (February 1998)     

Rigorous solutions for electromagnetic scattering from rough surfaces

Abstract

First, the rough surface scattering problem is formulated from a statistical point of view. Then, different numerical schemes that permit one to solve Maxwell equations without approximation are presented for the three-dimensional scattering problem. Particular attention is paid to boundary integral methods and to the numerical techniques developed to handle large linear systems when short-range interactions dominate. Lastly, several important connected issues that require further numerical and theoretical improvements are discussed.     

Nonlinear scatterers in nonlinear media: Born approximation and local perturbation method

Abstract

Wave scattering by inhomogeneous nonlinear particles placed in a nonlinear host medium is studied. In the case of weak scattering the scattering indicatrix is calculated in the first Born approximation. Scattering from small nonlinear particles loaded in a medium with saturation of permittivity is studied by the local perturbation method. A small perturbation method is developed for nonlinear equations of rather general type with a random, intensity-dependent, scattering potential.     

An iterative method for scattering from rough dielectric or conducting interfaces

Abstract

We introduces an iterative method for scattering a two-dimensional scalar wave from a rough interface between two media. The method is applicable to the case of electromagnetic scattering from a rough metallic or dielectric surface that varies only in one dimension. The first iteration is equivalent to the Kirchhoff approximation, and the series converges in one step for a flat surface. We discuss the conditions for convergence, and find that they are similar to those which Meecham showed to be necessary in the Dirichlet case.     

On the reconstruction of an optical potential on the basis of experimental data in the WKB approximation

The inverse scattering problem at a fixed energy for a complex-valued potential is solved in the WKB approximation. The method is used to reconstruct the optical potential for elastic ¹⁶O + ¹⁶O scattering at E _lab = 350 MeV. The stability of the solution against small changes in the scattering matrix is studied.     

A reciprocal phase-perturbation theory for rough-surface scattering

Abstract

We study the scattering of a scalar plane wave from a two-dimensional, randomly rough surface, on which the Dirichlet boundary condition is satisfied. The scattering amplitude is obtained in the form of the Fourier transform of an exponential, in which the exponent is written as an expansion in powers of the surface profile function. It is shown that the latter expansion can be written in such a way that the corresponding scattering matrix is manifestly reciprocal. Numerical results for the reflectivity, and for the contribution to the mean differential reflection coefficient from the incoherent component of the scattered field, are obtained and compared with the predictions of small-amplitude perturbation theory and the Kirchhoff approximation. As the wavelength of the incident wave is varied continuously the results of the phase-perturbation theory change continuously from those of the small-amplitude perturbation theory to those of the Kirchhoff approximation.