Light Scattering and Absorption by Particles: The Q-Space Approach

How electromagnetic radiation such as light is scattered or absorbed by media is used in many fields as it can provide information on the size, shape, number, and dynamics of particles or objects. It is key to fields as diverse as physical chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, microbiology, astronomy, atmospheric sciences and radar. This is not purely an academic concern, most aerosol mass in the atmosphere, including entrained mineral dust, volcanic ash, and soot consists of particles with irregular shapes and the way they scatter and absorb light has implications for many climate models. One new approach considers the scattering in reciprocal or Q-space. Q-space analysis has been used extensively in the fields of small angle x-ray and neutron scattering but developments in scattering, in general, and light scattering in particular, are relatively recent.

This book provides a thorough overview of how particles of any size or shape scatter and absorb light. Its conceptual basis is unique and founded on the fact that light is first and foremost a wave and then also an electromagnetic wave. Thus the wave phenomenon of diffraction underlies all scattering, and the electromagnetic character of light causes the scattering to evolve away, in a systematic manner, from the diffraction limit. The mathematics of diffraction is the Fourier transform which links real space to reciprocal space, which we call Q-space. The Fourier variable q is related to the scattering angle in experiments so that with our Q-space perspective, we plot scattering data versus q, rather than the angle. This modest change allows hitherto unseen patterns and functionalities in scattering that unifies scattering of all shapes.

Key features

• An accessible introduction to a coherent physical description of scattering

• Emphasis on interpretation and applications

• Written by a pioneering researcher in the subject

• Self-contained includes relevant background physics and maths

• A fresh, novel way to view the scattering of light by particles

電磁輻射，如光線，如何被介質散射或吸收，在許多領域中被用來提供有關粒子或物體的大小、形狀、數量和動態的信息。它對於物理化學、材料科學、納米技術、微生物學、天文學、大氣科學和雷達等領域至關重要。這不僅僅是一個學術問題，大氣中的大部分氣溶膠質量，包括被捲入的礦物塵、火山灰和煤煙，都由具有不規則形狀的粒子組成，它們散射和吸收光的方式對許多氣候模型具有影響。一種新的方法考慮了在互易空間或Q空間中的散射。Q空間分析在小角X射線和中子散射領域中得到了廣泛應用，但散射的發展，特別是光散射的發展，是相對較新的。

本書全面介紹了任何大小或形狀的粒子如何散射和吸收光。它的概念基礎是獨特的，建立在光首先是一種波動，然後也是一種電磁波的事實上。因此，衍射的波動現象是所有散射的基礎，而光的電磁特性使得散射以一種系統性的方式遠離衍射極限。衍射的數學是傅立葉變換，它將實空間與互易空間（我們稱之為Q空間）相關聯。傅立葉變量q與實驗中的散射角度相關，因此根據我們的Q空間觀點，我們將散射數據繪製為q而不是角度。這種小小的改變使得以前看不見的散射模式和功能統一了所有形狀的散射。

主要特點：
- 對散射的一致物理描述的易於理解的介紹
- 強調解釋和應用
- 由該領域的先驅研究者撰寫
- 自包含，包括相關的背景物理和數學
- 一種全新的觀察粒子散射光的方式