Reflection of electromagnetic waves from a rough surface

Abstract

It is shown that in the small-wavelength limit the cross section per unit area for backscattering of electromagnetic waves from a rough reflecting surface is given by dσB/dΩ=1/2P(φ), where P(φ)=the probability that the normal to the surface makes an angle φ with respect to a reference surface. This formula was previously stated without proof in a paper by Salpeter and Treiman. For the special case of a Gaussian distribution, this result corrects a formula previously derived by Davies, and agrees with the results of Ruffine. © 1965 The American Institute of Physics.