Mishchenko and Travis 2004

Mishchenko, M.I., and L.D. Travis, 2004: Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and Stokes parameters. In Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing. G. Videen, Y. Yatskiv, and M. Mishchenko, Eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 1-44.

The theoretical basis for describing elastic scattering of light by particles and surfaces is formed by classical electromagnetics. In order to make this volume sufficiently self-contained, this introductory chapter provides a summary of those concepts and equations of electromagnetic theory that will be used extensively in later chapters and introduces the necessary notation.

We start by formulating the macroscopic Maxwell equations and constitutive relations and discussing the fundamental time-harmonic planewave solution that underlies the basic optical idea of a monochromatic parallel beam of light. This is followed by the introduction of the Stokes parameters and a discussion of their ellipsometric content. Then we consider the concept of a quasi-monochromatic beam of light and its implications and briefly discuss how the Stokes parameters of monochromatic and quasimonochromatic light can be measured in practice. In the final two sections, we discuss another fundamental solution of Maxwell's equations in the form of a time-harmonic outgoing spherical wave and introduce the concept of the coherency dyad, which plays a vital role in the theory of multiple light scattering by random particle ensembles.

• Download PDF (Document is 896 kB)
• Document on GISS site includes typographical corrections and is preferred text.
• PDF documents require a special viewer such as the free Adobe Reader.

Citation Styles

Show: ACP, AGU, AMS, ApJ, JQSRT, Science style

Mishchenko, M.I., and Travis, L.D.: Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and Stokes parameters, in: Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing, edited by Videen, G., Yatskiv, Y., and Mishchenko, M., 1-44, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2004.

Mishchenko, M.I., and L.D. Travis (2004), Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and Stokes parameters, in Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing, edited by G. Videen, Y. Yatskiv, and M. Mishchenko, pp. 1-44, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Mishchenko, M.I., and L.D. Travis, 2004: Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and Stokes parameters. In Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing. G. Videen, Y. Yatskiv, and M. Mishchenko, Eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 1-44.

Mishchenko, M.I., & Travis, L.D. 2004, in Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing, ed. Videen, G., Yatskiv, Y., & Mishchenko, M., 1 (Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers).

Mishchenko MI, Travis LD. Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and Stokes parameters. In: Videen G, Yatskiv Y, Mishchenko M, editors. Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing, pp. 1-44. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2004.

M.I. Mishchenko, L.D. Travis, In Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing, G. Videen, Y. Yatskiv, M. Mishchenko, Eds. (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2004), pp. 1-44.