Light scattering from spheres

Abstract

For some applications, it has been assumed that scattering from an object placed near a highly reflecting substrate such as aluminum can be approximated by the scattering from that object placed near a perfectly conducting substrate. We examine this approximation by comparing the calculated scattering from dielectric spheres resting on plane substrates that are perfectly conducting and composed of aluminum. Examination of the Mueller polarization matrix elements shows appreciable differences between these two scattering systems. The differences, however, become small at scattering angles where the intensities are relatively large.