Optics of Cosmic Dust

Optics of Cosmic Dust describes what we currently know about cosmic dust, how we know it, and the research efforts undertaken to provide that knowledge. Areas treated include observational information, dust morphology and chemistry, light-scattering models, characterisation methodologies, and backscatter polarisation and dynamics. Suitable as an introductory text, the book is also a reference guide for the advanced researcher.

Observational Information.- In the Kitchen of Dust Modeling.- Infrared Spectroscopy of Cosmic Dust.- Experimental Light Scattering Matrices Relevant to Cosmic Dust.- Light Scattering Models.- Light Scattering Tools for Cosmic Dust Modeling.- Fractal Aggregates in Space.- Scattering of Light by a Sphere with an Arbitrary Radially Variable Refractive Index.- Calculation of Optical Fields Inside Spheroidal Praticles of Cosmic Dust: Comparison of Different Methods: GMT, T-Matrix, SVM.- Thermal Effects of Radiation on Dust Particles.- Characterization Methodologies.- Size Distributions of Particles Obtained by Inversion of Spectral Extinction and Scattering Measurements.- Simplified Solution of the Inverse Problem for Instantaneous Cometary Dust Size Distribution.- Monte Carlo Modeling of Cometary Atmospheres Including Polarization.- Atmospheric Extinction Derived from Cometary Observations.- Backscatter Polarization.- Photometric and Polarimetric Opposition Phenomena Exhibited by Solar System Bodies.- Experimental Modeling of Opposition Effect and Negative Polarization of Regolith-Like Surfaces.- Exact Results of the vector Theory of Coherent Backscattering from Discrete Random Media: An Overview.- Numerical Techniques for Backscattering by Random Media.- Dynamics.- The Effect of Radiation on the Motion of Meteoroids.- Covariant Equation of Motion for a Particle in an Electromagnetic Field.- Participants.