APPROXIMATION TO EXTINCTION EFFICIENCY FOR RANDOMLY ORIENTED SPHEROIDS

A semiempirical approximation to the extinction efficiency Q(ext) for randomly oriented spheroids, based on an extension of the anomalous diffraction formula, is given and compared to the extended boundary condition method or T-matrix method. Using this formula, Q(ext) can be evaluated over 10(4) times faster than by previous methods. This approximation has been verified for complex refractive indices m = n - ik, where 1.01 less-than-or-equal-to n less-than-or-equal-to 2.00 and 0 less-than-or-equal-to k less-than-or-equal-to 1 and aspect ratios from 0.5 to 4. We believe the approximation is uniformly valid over all size parameters and aspect ratios. It has the correct Rayleigh and large particle asymptotic behavior. The accuracy and limitations to this formula are extensively discussed.