Scattering, Two-Volume Set

Book excerpt: Scattering is the collision of two objects that results in a change of trajectory and energy. For example, in particle physics, such as electrons, photons, or neutrons are "scattered off" of a target specimen, resulting in a different energy and direction. In the field of electromagnetism, scattering is the random diffusion of electromagnetic radiation from air masses is an aid in the long-range sending of radio signals over geographic obstacles such as mountains. This type of scattering, applied to the field of acoustics, is the spreading of sound in many directions due to irregularities in the transmission medium. Volume I of Scattering will be devoted to basic theoretical ideas, approximation methods, numerical techniques and mathematical modeling. Volume II will be concerned with basic experimental techniques, technological practices, and comparisons with relevant theoretical work including seismology, medical applications, meteorological phenomena and astronomy. This reference will be used by researchers and graduate students in physics, applied physics, biophysics, chemical physics, medical physics, acoustics, geosciences, optics, mathematics, and engineering. This is the first encyclopedic-range work on the topic of scattering theory in quantum mechanics, elastodynamics, acoustics, and electromagnetics. It serves as a comprehensive interdisciplinary presentation of scattering and inverse scattering theory and applications in a wide range of scientific fields, with an emphasis, and details, up-to-date developments. Scattering also places an emphasis on the problems that are still in active current research. The first interdisciplinary reference source on scattering to gather all world expertise in this technique Covers the major aspects of scattering in a common language, helping to widening the knowledge of researchers across disciplines The list of editors, associate editors and contributors reads like an international Who's Who in the interdisciplinary field of scattering