Scattering of a Plane Wave by an Inhomogeneous Sphere under the Born Approximation

The scattering of an electromagnetic wave by an inhomogeneous, spherically-symmetrical region of space characterized by a complex ``dielectric constant'' near that of the surrounding medium is solved under the Born approximation. It is shown by direct comparison to the exact results of G. Mie in the case of the homogeneous sphere that polarization and scattering cross sections are predicted satisfactorily for ``small spheres'' which are nearly transparent. Wave amplitudes in the far zone, as well as scattering and absorption cross sections, are presented in terms of integrals over the inhomogeneous zone.