Light scattering at oblique incidence on two coaxial cylinders

Abstract

A solution for the problem of a plane wave at oblique incidence on two coaxial cylinders is presented. The solution of the wave equation is determined for various geometric regions, and boundary conditions are applied at the material interfaces. The resulting solution consists of a system of eight equations in eight unknown coefficients. Expressions for two of the Mueller-scattering matrix elements (S(11) and S(12)) and the extinction, scattering, and backscattering cross sections are derived. A numerical algorithm for the solution is developed and implemented. The algorithm is tested for several limiting cases: homogeneous, hollow, and metal-core cylinders at various angles of incidence for TM and TE waves. Comparisons of the results of the algorithm with the results of studies reported in the literature are made. The comparisons are favorable, achieving good agreement with published work. For two coaxial cylinders, the numerical calculations show that if one is to use light scattering as a diagnostic tool, both of the Mueller-scattering matrix elements S(11) and S(12) must be measured simultaneously. In addition, the backscattering cross section is very sensitive for monitoring change in the radii of the cylinders.