Application of a double-interaction model to the backscattering from particulate surfaces

A modified double-interaction model is applied to the study of backscatteri ng from metallic particles on conducting substrates. Polarization parallel or perpendicular to the plane of incidence is considered. The agreement wit h the experiment is successfully checked for metallic spheres of two differ ent diameters and for a metallic cylinder on a flat conducting substrate. U sing the model this enables a systematic study of some features of the back scattering patterns and, in particular, the angular positions of the minima , strongly dependent on the size. Some applications of this dependence are proposed, in particular, the possibility of distinguishing the size of the particle on the substrate and the distance from its center to the substrate . (C) 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [S0091-3286( 99)01606-2].