Electromagnetic scattering by random dielectric constant fluctuations in a bounded medium

The electromagnetic scattering properties of a medium bounded by a plane surface and whose (scalar) dielectric constant is the sum of a nonrandom part assumed to vary only with depth and a small random part are investigated by means of an approximate, first‐order perturbation method. It is shown that the equivalent dielectric constant to be used in calculating the average reflected power in the specular direction is a function of depth even in the case where the nonrandom part of the dielectric constant is independent of depth. Further, the equivalent dielectric constant is shown to be a tensor. Nonspecular scattering is also considered.