Title

Minimum principles in electromagnetic scattering by small aspherical particles

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-14-2013

Abstract

We consider the question of optimal shapes, e.g., those causing minimal extinction among all shapes of equal volume. Guided by the isoperimetric property of a sphere, relevant in the geometrical optics limit of scattering by large particles, we examine an analogous question in the low frequency approximation, seeking to disentangle electric and geometric contributions. To that end, we survey the literature on shape functionals and focus on ellipsoids, giving a simple discussion of spherical optimality for the coated ellipsoidal particle. Monotonic increase with asphericity in the low frequency regime for orientation-averaged induced dipole moments and scattering cross-sections is also shown. Additional physical insight is obtained from the Rayleigh–Gans (transparent) limit and eccentricity expansions. We propose connecting low and high frequency regimes in a single minimum principle valid for all size parameters, provided that reasonable size distributions of randomly oriented aspherical particles wash out the resonances for intermediate size parameters. This proposal is further supported by the sum rule for integrated extinction.

Publisher's Statement

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Publisher's version of record: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2013.08.006

Publication Title

Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer

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