Diffraction Effects in Semiclassical Scattering

by H. M. Nussenzveig

Overview

Critical effects in semiclassical light scattering, in which the standard approximations break down, are associated with forward peaking, rainbows, glories, orbiting, and resonances. Besides giving rise to beautiful optical effects in the atmosphere, critical effects have important applications in many areas of physics. Their interpretation and accurate treatment, however, are difficult. This book deals with the theory of these critical effects. After a preliminary chapter posing the problem of critical effects, the next three chapters on coronae, rainbows, and glories, are written to be accessible to a broader audience of physicists. The main part of the book then describes the results obtained from the application of complex angular momentum techniques to scattering by homogeneous spheres. These techniques lead to practically usable asymptotic approximations, and to new physical insights into critical effects. A new conceptual picture of diffraction, regarded as a tunnelling effect, emerges. The final two chapters contain brief descriptions of applications to a broad range of fields including linear and nonlinear optics, radiative transfer, astronomy, acoustics, seismology, atomic, nuclear, and particle physics. This book intends to convey the basic concepts and physical interpretations that emerge from the new approach, rather than the complete formalism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521025874
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/20/2006
Series:	Montroll Memorial Lecture Series in Mathematical Physics , #1
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.94(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.43(d)

Table of Contents

1. Critical effects in semiclassical scattering; 2. Diffraction and coronae; 3. The rainbow; 4. The glory; 5. Mie solution and resonances; 6. Complex angular momentum; 7. Scattering by an impenetrable sphere; 8. Diffraction as tunnelling; 9. The Debye expansion; 10. Theory of the rainbow; 11. Theory of the glory; 12. Near-critical scattering; 13. Average cross sections; 14. Orbiting and resonances; 15. Macroscopic applications; 16. Applications to atomic, nuclear and particle physics; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"I learned a great deal from this remarkably well-written book. The style of writing is lively and stimulating, with a useful bibliography, noting where further information on the subject matter of each chapter may be found. Moreover, it is filled with interesting and relevant quotations from the world's literature....recommended to theoretical physicists desiring an entry into this exciting subject." Christian Brosseau, Optics and Photonics News

"For those connoisseurs of the mathematics of scattering, Nussenzveig is a master chef, and his book is a compilation of his mathematical dishes, lovingly and carefully prepared for those with the juices to digest them." Craig F. Bohren, American Journal of Physics

From the Publisher