abstract
| - Mie theory, also called Lorenz-Mie theory or Lorenz-Mie-Debye theory, is an analytical solution of Maxwell's equations for the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by spherical particles (also called Mie scattering). The Mie solution[1] is named after its developer, German physicist Gustav Mie. However, Danish physicist Ludvig Lorenz and others independently developed the theory of electromagnetic plane wave scattering by a dielectric sphere. The term "Mie theory" is misleading, since it does not refer to an independent physical theory or law. The phrase "the Mie solution (to Maxwell's equations)" is therefore preferable. Currently, the term "Mie solution" is also used in broader contexts, for example when discussing solutions of Maxwell's equations for scattering by stratified spheres or by infinite cylinders, or generally when dealing with scattering problems solved using the exact Maxwell equations in cases where one can write separate equations for the radial and angular dependence of solutions. In contrast to Rayleigh scattering, the Mie solution to the scattering problem is valid for all possible ratios of diameter to wavelength, although the technique results in numerical summation of infinite sums. In its original formulation it assumed an homogeneous, isotropic and optically linear material irradiated by an infinitely extending plane wave. However, solutions for layered spheres are also possible. A modern formulation of the Mie solution to the scattering problem on a sphere can be found in J. A. Stratton's Electromagnetic Theory, published in 1941. In this formulation, the incident plane wave as well as the scattering field is expanded into radiating spherical vector wave functions. The internal field is expanded into regular spherical vector wave functions. By enforcing the boundary condition on the spherical surface, the expansion coefficients of the scattered field can be computed.
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