Interactions of Light with Small Particles
Second Edition
2nd Edition
Will be published approx. on 29. July 2026
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-3-527-40664-7 (ISBN)
Description
The definitive academic and professional reference on the scattering of light
Interactions of Light with Small Particles bridges foundational theory and practical applications, illuminating the science behind phenomena like the blue sky and shimmering minerals. Beginning with the physics of scattering, absorption, and emission, it addresses electromagnetic theory, particle-specific interactions, and approximations for various shapes and sizes. Designed for researchers and professionals, this resource covers computed and measured optical constants, extinction phenomena, surface modes, and directional scattering. Chapters on spheres, ellipsoids, cylinders, and complex clusters are rigorous yet accessible, making this an essential text for anyone seeking to interpret and leverage optical measurements in various scientific fields.
* Understand how particles interact with light across scales and materials
* Get engaging, clear explanations of the science behind the colors of nature
* Gain insight into how classical electromagnetic theory is applied in real-world optical observations
This book is ideal for researchers in molecular physics, optics, materials science, and atmospheric physics, as well as physical chemists and astronomers. Anyone interested in the scattering of light will find it an invaluable reference and learning tool.
Interactions of Light with Small Particles bridges foundational theory and practical applications, illuminating the science behind phenomena like the blue sky and shimmering minerals. Beginning with the physics of scattering, absorption, and emission, it addresses electromagnetic theory, particle-specific interactions, and approximations for various shapes and sizes. Designed for researchers and professionals, this resource covers computed and measured optical constants, extinction phenomena, surface modes, and directional scattering. Chapters on spheres, ellipsoids, cylinders, and complex clusters are rigorous yet accessible, making this an essential text for anyone seeking to interpret and leverage optical measurements in various scientific fields.
* Understand how particles interact with light across scales and materials
* Get engaging, clear explanations of the science behind the colors of nature
* Gain insight into how classical electromagnetic theory is applied in real-world optical observations
This book is ideal for researchers in molecular physics, optics, materials science, and atmospheric physics, as well as physical chemists and astronomers. Anyone interested in the scattering of light will find it an invaluable reference and learning tool.
More details
Other editions
Previous edition
Craig F. Bohren | Donald R. Huffman
Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles
Book
04/1998
Wiley-VCH
€109.00
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Craig F. Bohren is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University. During the academic year 1986-87 he was Visiting Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College, in 1993 the Selby Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, and in 1994 Visiting Professor of Physics at Trinity University. In 1988 he was elected a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. Professor Bohren is the author of several books, and the first recipient of the American Meteorological Society's Louis J. Battan Award for Authors.
Eugen E. Clothiaux is an Associate Professor of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University. He received his doctoral degree in physics from Brown University in 1990, then went on to the Pennsylvania State University to become a post-doctoral fellow in 1991. He remained there as a Research Associate for five years before becoming an Assistant Professor in 1999. Dr. Clothiaux has written several contributions on millimeter wave cloud radar and atmospheric radiation.
Donald R. Huffman is Regents Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona. In 1983 he and colleague Wolfgang Krätschmer produced the first sample of C60, buckminsterfullerene. The two scientists were honored with the MRS medal and shared in the 1994 Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize.
Eugen E. Clothiaux is an Associate Professor of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University. He received his doctoral degree in physics from Brown University in 1990, then went on to the Pennsylvania State University to become a post-doctoral fellow in 1991. He remained there as a Research Associate for five years before becoming an Assistant Professor in 1999. Dr. Clothiaux has written several contributions on millimeter wave cloud radar and atmospheric radiation.
Donald R. Huffman is Regents Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona. In 1983 he and colleague Wolfgang Krätschmer produced the first sample of C60, buckminsterfullerene. The two scientists were honored with the MRS medal and shared in the 1994 Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize.
Content
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1 What is a Small Particle?
1.2 Scattering, Emission, and Absorption as Observable Phenomena
1.3 Detecting and Imaging
1.4 Elastic, Quasielastic, and Inelastic Scattering
1.5 Scattering, Emission, and Absorption: Theoretical Interpretation
1.6 Physics of Scattering by a Single Particle
1.7 Direct and Inverse Problems
Chapter 2. Electromagnetic Theory
2.1 Field Vectors and the Maxwell Equations
2.2 Time-Harmonic Fields
2.3 Frequency-Dependent Constitutive Parameters
2.4 Poynting Vector
2.5 Plane Waves in Unbounded Media
2.6 Plane Waves in Bounded Media
2.7 Reflection and Transmission by a Slab
2.8 Scattering Interpretation of Reflection and Transmission
2.9 Measurement of Optical Constants
2.10 Polarization
2.11 Slab and Particle: Similarities and Differences
Chapter 3. Absorption and Scattering by an Arbitrary Particle
3.1 General Formulation of the Problem
3.2 Amplitude Scattering Matrix
3.3 Scattering Matrix
3.4 Extinction, Scattering, and Absorption
Chapter 4. Absorption, Scattering, and Emission by a Sphere
4.1 Solutions to the Vector Helmholtz Equation
4.2 Expansion of a Plane Wave in Spherical Vector Wave Functions
4.3 Internal and Scattered Fields
4.4 Cross Sections and Matrix Elements
4.5 Asymmetry Parameter, Radiation Force, and Torque
4.6 Radar Backscattering Cross Section
4.7 Thermal Emission
4.8 Sphere on or Above a Substrate
Chapter 5. Particles Small Compared with the Wavelength
5.1 Sphere Small Compared with the Wavelength
5.2 Electrostatic (Quasistatic) Approximation
5.3 Ellipsoid in the Electrostatic Approximation
5.4 Coated Ellipsoid
5.5 Polarizability Tensor
5.6 Anisotropic Sphere
5.7 Scattering Matrix
5.8 Rayleigh, Smoluchowski, Einstein, Fluctuation Theory of Scattering
Chapter 6. Rayleigh-Gans Approximation
6.1 Amplitude Scattering Matrix
6.2 Homogeneous Sphere
6.3 Finite Cylinder
Chapter 7. Geometrical Optics
7.1 Absorption and Scattering Cross Sections of a Sphere
7.2 Rainbow Angles
7.3 Glory Scattering
7.4 Scattering by Prisms: Ice-Crystal Halos
7.5 Scattering by Axially-Illuminated Spheroids
Chapter 8. A Potpourri of Particles
8.1 Uniformly Coated Sphere
8.2 Isotropic Chiral Sphere
8.3 Infinite Right Circular Cylinder
8.4 Spheroids
8.5 Anisotropic Sphere
8.6 Particle in an Absorbing Medium
8.7 Fraunhofer Approximation: Nonspherical Particles
8.8 Randomly Sparse Clusters of Small Spheres
8.9 Clusters of Arbitrary Spheres and Other Regular Particles
8.10 Heterogeneous Media and Particles: Effective-Medium Theories
8.11 A Survey of Numerical Methods for Irregular Particles
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF BULK MATTER
Chapter 9. Classical Theories of Optical Constants
9.1 The Lorentz Model
9.2 The Multiple-Oscillator Model
9.3 The Anisotropic Oscillator Model
9.4 The Drude Model
9.5 The Debye Relaxation Model
9.6 General Relationship Between e and µ
Chapter 10. Measured Optical Constants
10.1 Optical Properties of an Insulator: Magnesium Oxide
10.2 Optical Properties of a Metal: Aluminum
10.3 Optical Properties of a Non-Free-Electron Metal: Gold
10.4 Optical Properties of a Polar Liquid: Water
10.5 The Magnitude of k
10.6 Validity of Bulk Optical Constants in Small-Particle Calculations
10.7 Summary of Absorption Mechanisms
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PARTICLES
Chapter 11. Extinction
11.1 Extinction = Absorption + Scattering
11.2 Extinction Survey
11.3 Some Extinction Effects in Nonmetallic Spheres
11.4 Ripple Structure
11.5 Christiansen Filter
11.6 Absorption Effects in Extinction
11.7 Extinction by Nonspherical Particles
11.8 Extinction Measurements
11.9 Extinction: A Synopsis
Chapter 12. Surface Modes in Small Particles
12.1 Surface Modes of Small Spheres
12.2 Surface Modes of Nonspherical Particles
12.3 Vibrational Modes in Insulators
12.4 Electronic Modes in Metals
Chapter 13. Directional Dependence of Scattering
13.1 Scattering of Unpolarized and Linearly Polarized Light
13.2 Measurement and Particle Production Techniques
13.3 Measurements on Single Particles
13.4 Some Theoretical and Experimental Results
13.5 Particle Sizing
13.6 Scattering Matrix Symmetry
13.7 Measuring the Scattering Matrix
13.8 Some Results for the Scattering Matrix
13.9 Summary: Applicability of Lorenz-Mie Theory
1.1 What is a Small Particle?
1.2 Scattering, Emission, and Absorption as Observable Phenomena
1.3 Detecting and Imaging
1.4 Elastic, Quasielastic, and Inelastic Scattering
1.5 Scattering, Emission, and Absorption: Theoretical Interpretation
1.6 Physics of Scattering by a Single Particle
1.7 Direct and Inverse Problems
Chapter 2. Electromagnetic Theory
2.1 Field Vectors and the Maxwell Equations
2.2 Time-Harmonic Fields
2.3 Frequency-Dependent Constitutive Parameters
2.4 Poynting Vector
2.5 Plane Waves in Unbounded Media
2.6 Plane Waves in Bounded Media
2.7 Reflection and Transmission by a Slab
2.8 Scattering Interpretation of Reflection and Transmission
2.9 Measurement of Optical Constants
2.10 Polarization
2.11 Slab and Particle: Similarities and Differences
Chapter 3. Absorption and Scattering by an Arbitrary Particle
3.1 General Formulation of the Problem
3.2 Amplitude Scattering Matrix
3.3 Scattering Matrix
3.4 Extinction, Scattering, and Absorption
Chapter 4. Absorption, Scattering, and Emission by a Sphere
4.1 Solutions to the Vector Helmholtz Equation
4.2 Expansion of a Plane Wave in Spherical Vector Wave Functions
4.3 Internal and Scattered Fields
4.4 Cross Sections and Matrix Elements
4.5 Asymmetry Parameter, Radiation Force, and Torque
4.6 Radar Backscattering Cross Section
4.7 Thermal Emission
4.8 Sphere on or Above a Substrate
Chapter 5. Particles Small Compared with the Wavelength
5.1 Sphere Small Compared with the Wavelength
5.2 Electrostatic (Quasistatic) Approximation
5.3 Ellipsoid in the Electrostatic Approximation
5.4 Coated Ellipsoid
5.5 Polarizability Tensor
5.6 Anisotropic Sphere
5.7 Scattering Matrix
5.8 Rayleigh, Smoluchowski, Einstein, Fluctuation Theory of Scattering
Chapter 6. Rayleigh-Gans Approximation
6.1 Amplitude Scattering Matrix
6.2 Homogeneous Sphere
6.3 Finite Cylinder
Chapter 7. Geometrical Optics
7.1 Absorption and Scattering Cross Sections of a Sphere
7.2 Rainbow Angles
7.3 Glory Scattering
7.4 Scattering by Prisms: Ice-Crystal Halos
7.5 Scattering by Axially-Illuminated Spheroids
Chapter 8. A Potpourri of Particles
8.1 Uniformly Coated Sphere
8.2 Isotropic Chiral Sphere
8.3 Infinite Right Circular Cylinder
8.4 Spheroids
8.5 Anisotropic Sphere
8.6 Particle in an Absorbing Medium
8.7 Fraunhofer Approximation: Nonspherical Particles
8.8 Randomly Sparse Clusters of Small Spheres
8.9 Clusters of Arbitrary Spheres and Other Regular Particles
8.10 Heterogeneous Media and Particles: Effective-Medium Theories
8.11 A Survey of Numerical Methods for Irregular Particles
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF BULK MATTER
Chapter 9. Classical Theories of Optical Constants
9.1 The Lorentz Model
9.2 The Multiple-Oscillator Model
9.3 The Anisotropic Oscillator Model
9.4 The Drude Model
9.5 The Debye Relaxation Model
9.6 General Relationship Between e and µ
Chapter 10. Measured Optical Constants
10.1 Optical Properties of an Insulator: Magnesium Oxide
10.2 Optical Properties of a Metal: Aluminum
10.3 Optical Properties of a Non-Free-Electron Metal: Gold
10.4 Optical Properties of a Polar Liquid: Water
10.5 The Magnitude of k
10.6 Validity of Bulk Optical Constants in Small-Particle Calculations
10.7 Summary of Absorption Mechanisms
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PARTICLES
Chapter 11. Extinction
11.1 Extinction = Absorption + Scattering
11.2 Extinction Survey
11.3 Some Extinction Effects in Nonmetallic Spheres
11.4 Ripple Structure
11.5 Christiansen Filter
11.6 Absorption Effects in Extinction
11.7 Extinction by Nonspherical Particles
11.8 Extinction Measurements
11.9 Extinction: A Synopsis
Chapter 12. Surface Modes in Small Particles
12.1 Surface Modes of Small Spheres
12.2 Surface Modes of Nonspherical Particles
12.3 Vibrational Modes in Insulators
12.4 Electronic Modes in Metals
Chapter 13. Directional Dependence of Scattering
13.1 Scattering of Unpolarized and Linearly Polarized Light
13.2 Measurement and Particle Production Techniques
13.3 Measurements on Single Particles
13.4 Some Theoretical and Experimental Results
13.5 Particle Sizing
13.6 Scattering Matrix Symmetry
13.7 Measuring the Scattering Matrix
13.8 Some Results for the Scattering Matrix
13.9 Summary: Applicability of Lorenz-Mie Theory