First Correction to the Geometric-Optics Scattering Cross Section from Cylinders and Spheres

Abstract

The total scattering cross section in the short wavelength limit is considered in this paper. The problems treated include diffraction of a plane electromagnetic wave by a conducting cylinder (two possible polarizations) or a conducting sphere, acoustic scattering by a rigid sphere, and quantum‐mechanical scattering by an impenetrable sphere. The first correction term to the geometric optics result is computed. In each case, this term is proportional to (ka)−2/3. The constant of proportionality depends on the specific geometry.