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The differential scattering cross section, dCb / dω [length2 sr -1], describes the directional dependency of the intensity of unpolarized electromagnetic radiation (ER) scattered by a particle. A related quantity, the volume scattering function (VSF), β [sr -1 length-1], characterizes in a similar manner a dispersion of many particles.
The differential scattering cross section is defined by the following equation:
| Cb = ∫4π [dCb(ξ) / dω] dω | (1) |
where dCb(ξ) is a contribution to the scattering cross section, Cb, from electromagnetic radiation (ER) scattered at direction ξ. Hence, the scattering cross section is sometimes referred to as the "total" scattering cross section.
Given the definition of the scattering cross section, Cb (Eq. 1 in Scattering cross sections), we have:
| dCb(ξ) / dω = (1 / E ) [dΦbp(ξ) / dω] | (2) |
where dΦbp is the power of light scattered by the particle at direction ξ and E [power length-2] is the irradiance of an ER beam illuminating the particle.
It can be shown that the differential scattering cross section of a particle for a unpolarized ER beam is related to the scattering matrix of the particle as follows:
| dCb(ξ) / dω = M11 / k2 | (3) |
where M11 is an element [1, 1] of the scattering matrix, and k is the wavenumber of ER illuminating the particle.
| CITATION: Jonasz M. 2006. Differential scattering cross section (www.tpdsci.com/Tpc/ScaFnDifCs.php). In: Top. Part. Disp. Sci. (www.tpdsci.com). |
HISTORY: Published: 27-Sep-2006 Modified: 13-Jan-2008 Peer-reviewed: PENDING |
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