MATLAB Functions for Mie Scattering and Absorption

Abstract

A set of Mie functions has been developed in MATLAB to compute the four Mie coefficients an, bn, cn and dn, efficiencies of extinction, scattering, backscattering and absorption, the asymmetry parameter, and the two angular scattering functions S1 and S2. In addition to the scattered field, also the absolute-square of the internal field is computed and used to get the absorption efficiency in a way independent from the scattered field. This allows to test the computational accuracy. This first version of MATLAB Mie Functions is limited to homogeneous dielectric spheres without change in the magnetic permeability between the inside and outside of the particle. Required input parameters are the complex refractive index, m= m’+ im”, of the sphere (relative to the ambient medium) and the size parameter, x=ka, where a is the sphere radius and k the wave number in the ambient medium. 1 Equation on p. 16 corrected, April 2006