Mie scattering is the scattering of radiation by spherical particles, with formulas working best when particles are similar in size to the wavelength. It can be used to determine particle size and composition, and is used in meteorology and biology. Gustav Mie developed the formulas in 1900.
Mie scattering is how spherical particles scatter the radiation that bounces off them. The formulas used to describe the spread of the radiation wave work best when the particles are similar in size to the wavelength. Water droplets in the atmosphere and healthy animal cells both scatter electromagnetic radiation according to the principles of Mie scattering.
Formulas describing Mie scattering can be used to determine a number of different things. The size and composition of the particle can be used to predict how much radiation will be scattered and in which directions the radiation will travel. Conversely, examining the behavior of an electromagnetic wave after it has come into contact with a particle can give scientists an idea of the size and composition of the spherical particle itself.
Particles of the sizes applicable to Mie’s scattering formulas scatter light in a predictable way. The radiation is scattered all around the particle, although a greater part is scattered on the side of the particle that faces away from the source of the electromagnetic radiation. Small amounts of radiation, however, bounce towards the source of the radiation and at acute angles to it.
Meteorology and the biological sciences use information gleaned from Mie scattering. In meteorology, the behavior of electromagnetic waves as they bounce off particles can help determine how dense particulate matter is in the sky. This particulate matter can include dust, water and pollen as well as common pollutants, which makes it possible to evaluate air quality through the application of Mie’s dispersion equations. In biology, healthy cells scatter light according to the principles of Mie scattering. Cancer cells scatter light in a different way, which makes Mie scattering useful in diagnosing tumors that look similar to healthy cells.
Mie scattering was developed in 1900 by the German physicist Gustav Mie. He developed his own formulas to better describe the behavior of electromagnetic waves around particles that were approximately the same size in diameter as a wavelength of radiation. Particles that are much smaller than a wavelength can be described using a number of formulas that describe Rayleigh scattering. Particles that are much larger than the wavelength of the radiation scatter light in a manner well described by the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye scattering formulas.
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