Abstract

In testing a stochastic variational principle at high frequencies by using a Kirchhoffean trial function in an idealized model for surface scattering—a randomly embossed plane—we have found not only the predicted high-frequency improvement but also an unexpected low-frequency improvement in the calculated scattering amplitudes. To investigate systematically the all-frequency variational behavior, we consider here the deterministic one-boss case—Rayleigh’s classic model whose exact solution is available for comparison—over all wavelengths, polarizations, and configurations of incidence and scattering. We examine analytically in particular the long-wave limit of the variational-Kirchhoff amplitudes; the results demonstrate improvements in both wavelength and angle dependence for horizontal (TM) polarization and some variational improvements for vertical (TE) polarization. This low-frequency behavior in tandem with the foreseen high-frequency improvement leads to good variational-Kirchhoff results through the intermediate resonance-frequency regime for this model.

© 1985 Optical Society of America

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