Abstract This paper reports the extension of vectorial complex ray model allowing to account, in the high-frequency limit, for the direction, polarization, curvature of wave front, amplitude, phase and scattered intensity of the light rays interacting with an infinite cylinder of arbitrary while smooth cross section. Based on the proposed method, a numerical study is performed on the scattering patterns of composite elliptical cylinders (CEC). The effects of shape deformation, refractive index and the direction of incident wave on the scattering patterns of the CEC whose cross sections approximate the shapes of realistic raindrops are investigated and quantitatively analyzed, which provides insight into how these factors affect the appearance of a natural rainbow. Being flexible and numerically efficient (a full scattering diagram is obtained in few seconds on a laptop computer), the method proposed in this paper is thought to have important applications in calculating and analyzing the scattering characteristics of light by cylindrical objects of cross sections ranging from simple to complex.

中文翻译：

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基于矢量复射线模型的任意光滑截面无限圆柱体的光散射

摘要 本文报告了矢量复射线模型的扩展，允许在高频极限下考虑与任意无限圆柱相互作用的光线的方向、偏振、波前曲率、幅度、相位和散射强度。同时横截面光滑。基于所提出的方法，对复合椭圆柱体（CEC）的散射模式进行了数值研究。研究并定量分析了形状变形、折射率和入射波方向对 CEC 散射模式的影响，CEC 的横截面近似于真实雨滴的形状，从而深入了解这些因素如何影响天然彩虹的外观.