Scattering of Radiation by a Fiber with a Rough Surface

We present a new theory on scattering of radiation by real fibers in engineering systems. The theory covers the scattering by fibers consistently over an entire range of fiber sizes from smaller to larger than the wavelength of radiation. A geometrical technique is presented for modeling a fiber with a rough surface of a three-dimensional homogeneous microstructure. Scattering characteristics of the fiber are described based on the electromagnetic wave theory of diffraction to investigate the relationship among three main factors of scattering: wavelength of radiation, fiber diameter, and fiber microstructure. With an increase in fiber diameter and a corresponding magnification of a rough fiber surface microstructure, the scattering changes from particle scattering to surface scattering. The transition occurs in a size parameter range of P = 100-300.