Scattering of polarized radiation by an arbitrary collection of closely spaced parallel nonhomogeneous tilted cylinders

A theory of scattering of polarized light by an arbitrary configuration of closely spaced, parallel nonhomogeneous infinite circular cylinders at oblique incidence is presented in this paper. The polarization of the incident wave can be linear, circular, or elliptic. The diameter of the cylinders, the spacing between the cylinders, and the incident wavelength are comparable with each other. Each cylinder can have an arbitrary number of concentric layers of stratification, and the complex index of refraction in each layer can be different. An exact solution of Maxwell's equations that accounts for near-field multiple scattering and far-field wave interface is developed. Formulas are developed for the extinction and scattering cross sections and the scattering amplitude. The corresponding expressions for an isolated cylinder are also obtained as a special case. The light-scattering characteristics of a collection of cylinders are examined by numerical data for various incidence angles and polarizations. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America.