Light Scattering by Small Particles (Structure of Matter Series.) (Paperback)

~ H. C. van de Hulst (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This excellent text offers comprehensive treatment of the light-scattering properties of small, independent particles, covering both basic scattering theory and particular computations with different kinds of particles. It includes a full range of useful approximation methods for researchers in chemistry, meteorology and astronomy. 46 tables. 59 graphs. 44 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 470 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (December 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486642283
• ISBN-13: 978-0486642284
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,131 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic must have/read text on scattering!, June 5, 2005

By	Vivek Sharma "Vivek" (Cambridge / Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

van de Hulst has written an extermely useful treatise on light scattering by small particles. The essential assumptions in every derivation are specified, noting the range of validity of most expressions, and the physical interpretation and intuition is expressed through words as well as through mathematics. The book is very readable for people coming from all kinds of disciplines. A background in optics and electrodynamics is definitely useful in understanding the text better.

Being a Dover publication, the book is very affordable and must be on the shelf of every serious student of scattering. The book starts by stating the "limitation", essentially defining the range of topics and physical behavior that is covered in the book, then wave propagation in vacuum and in media is described and the matrix methods associated with polarization are introduced. In part II, the author covers Rayleigh and Rayleigh Gans scattering, i.e. scattering by particles small compared to the wavelength of light, and then describes Mie scattering (rigorously true for spheres of all sizes). Thereafter he discusses several special cases important to metereologists, material scientists, atmospheric sciencists, physicists and chemists. These include particles large compared to wavelength of light, optics of raindrops and rainbows, absorbing and non absorbing spheres and particles with some other shapes (spheroids and cylinders), etc. The lasting popularity of the book is not only because it provides essence of a large body of work on scattering, it is perhaps in the deep insight of the author that is inspirational and educational in every respect, and found in every page of the book!

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview, April 19, 2000

By	Dirk Faber (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This book gives an excellent overview on light scattering by small particles and is a must-have for everybody working on scattering phenomena. Whether you are a phycisist, mathematician or engineer, it provides a solid basis for the problems encountered. Further comment is not needed - just consider how often this book is referenced to in scientific publications!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So..so, September 1, 2009

By	N. Campbell "A Physicists" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

okay, this book is highly utilized by a great deal of people in the field, but i find the book lacking in readability. It generalizes far too much. It gives too little detail. It reminds me of an outline for a scattering text book. It is a reference text in the truest sense of the word. It's obvious intent is a reminder for those who already know the information, but it is so generalized...it alone is not very useful for the student learning scattering.