Diffraction of light by plasma in the solar system. (arXiv:1805.00398v4 [physics.optics] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Turyshev_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Slava G. Turyshev</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Toth_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">Viktor T. Toth</a>
We study the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves in the solar system
and develop a Mie theory that accounts for the refractive properties of the
free electron plasma in the extended solar corona. We use a generic model for
the electron number density distribution and apply the eikonal approximation to
find a solution in terms of Debye potentials, which is then used to determine
the EM field both within the inner solar system and at large heliocentric
distances. As expected, the solution for the EM wave propagating through the
solar system is characterized by a plasma-induced phase shift and related
change in the light ray’s direction of propagation. Our approach quantitatively
accounts for these effects, providing a wave-optical treatment for diffraction
in the solar plasma. As such, it may be used in practical applications
involving big apertures, large interferometric baselines or otherwise widely
distributed high-precision astronomical instruments.
We study the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves in the solar system
and develop a Mie theory that accounts for the refractive properties of the
free electron plasma in the extended solar corona. We use a generic model for
the electron number density distribution and apply the eikonal approximation to
find a solution in terms of Debye potentials, which is then used to determine
the EM field both within the inner solar system and at large heliocentric
distances. As expected, the solution for the EM wave propagating through the
solar system is characterized by a plasma-induced phase shift and related
change in the light ray’s direction of propagation. Our approach quantitatively
accounts for these effects, providing a wave-optical treatment for diffraction
in the solar plasma. As such, it may be used in practical applications
involving big apertures, large interferometric baselines or otherwise widely
distributed high-precision astronomical instruments.
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