Theory of reflection. Reflection and transmission of electromagnetic, particle and acoustic waves (Q495925)

This is the second improved and enlarged version of the first book from 1986 which covers a broad variety of issues related to reflection and transmission of electromagnetic, acoustic, and particle waves at domains separating media with different physical and geometrical properties. The book is didactically well written and can serve as a useful literature for professionals as well as for graduate students in the considered fields. The text in 14+538 pages is divided into 20 chapters with a list of references and suggestions for further readings at the end of each chapter, with an appendix, and an index. The introductory Chapter 1 is on basic properties of electromagnetic, acoustic, and quantum-mechanical particle wave scattering and reflection. Chapter 2 is focused on exact results for transmitted and reflected wave amplitudes from local non-uniform transitional layers separating different media. Chapters 3 and 4 introduce approximate solutions applicable to relatively long wavelength waves, and variational procedures allowing for more general profiles of the interface layer and the adjacent geometrical configurations of media. Further approximate solution techniques, including the iteration method, for solving more general wave reflection equations are elaborated in Chapter 5 while Chapter 6 is devoted to solutions in the short wavelength limit for various geometries and profiles. Equations and solutions for wave reflection in geometries and profiles with anisotropic media are analyzed and discussed in details in Chapters 7 and 8, including reflection of electromagnetic waves from the ionosphere and applications to crystals, among others. The method of ellipsometry to determine polarization components of the reflected and transmitted wave is explained in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 deals with effects of absorption on wave reflection in different configurations including surface waves on layers and absorbing films. Chapter 11 contains details about treating and solving the inverse problem when the profile properties are deduced from the known wave reflection/transmission parameters. The matrix approach and numerical solving techniques for wave reflection/transmission in various media configurations are presented in Chapter 12 which includes phenomena like total absorption, tunneling, and calculation of wave-functions, among others. Reflection/refraction characteristics from periodically stratified media are treated in Chapter 13, while Chapter 14 considers the effects of different types of an interface surface on the wave propagation, such as structured rough surfaces, diffraction gratings, and wet surfaces. Chapter 15 is devoted to particle waves and wave packets, and solutions to Schrödinger's equation for different potential configurations. Specific features of the neutron particle and X-ray reflection are analyzed in Chapter 16, while Chapter 17 deals mostly with acoustic waves in various media configurations and also includes acoustic pulses and beams. Chapter 18 treats isotropic optically active media that rotate the plane of polarization of light typical of some crystals, liquids and plasmas. More details on reflection of wave-packets, pulses, and finite beams and the solutions under different conditions and configurations are given in the final Chapters 19 and 20. The appendix contains useful formulae for various quantities typically encountered in the wave transmission and reflection analyses.