Abstract

General properties of a scalar primary radiation source embedded in a finite dielectric scattering medium are considered. It is shown that, to all orders of the Born series, such a composite radiation source, which generates a field described by an inhomogeneous integral equation, is equivalent to a primary radiation source in free space, whose field is described by the familiar inhomogeneous wave equation, thereby making the mathematical analysis of the radiation field easier. The equivalent primary source distribution may be expressed in a series form, analogous to the Born series. It involves the scattering potential, the primary source distribution, and a Green′s function.

© 1989 Optical Society of America