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Updated: May 16, 2026
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Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Understanding light scattering by a coated sphere part 1: theoretical considerations
1Department of Physics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, USA. j.lock@csuohio.edu
Summary
Scattering of light by coated spheres is simplified by analyzing internal reflections. Path degeneracy and repeated ray trajectories in the Debye series allow for easier cataloging of scattering contributions.
Area of Science:
- Optics
- Electromagnetic Theory
- Computational Physics
Background:
- Scattering of light by homogeneous spheres is well-understood.
- Scattering by coated spheres presents greater complexity due to layered structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simplify the interpretation of light scattering by coated spheres.
- To develop a method for cataloging the contributions of various scattering paths.
Main Methods:
- Expansion of partial wave amplitudes in a Debye series.
- Rearrangement of the Debye series based on internal reflections within the coated sphere.
- Analysis of path degeneracy and repeated ray trajectories.
Main Results:
- Identified path degeneracy where different Debye terms yield identical scattered intensity.
- Discovered repeated ray trajectories with identical time delays but different intensities.
- Demonstrated that these phenomena simplify the interpretation of coated sphere scattering.
Conclusions:
- The Debye series, when rearranged by internal reflections, reveals path degeneracy and repeated ray trajectories.
- These findings significantly simplify the analysis and cataloging of light scattering contributions in coated spheres.
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