Scattering of Electromagnetic Plane Waves from Inhomogeneous Spherically Symmetric Objects

Unlike its nuclear optical model counterpart, the problem of the scattering of light from spherically symmetric inhomogeneous absorbing particles cannot in general be predicted directly from solutions of the usual wave equation. An exact theory is derived from Maxwell's equations and the resultant scattering coefficients are found to depend upon the solutions of two differential equations, one of which is of the familiar Schr\"odinger form. Specific calculations based on the Green-Wyatt form factor illustrate the dependence of the polarization and scattered intensities on surface diffuseness. The results are compared with similar nuclear calculations.