Many-body iterative T-matrix method for large aspect ratio particles

- The many-body iterative T-matrix method is employed.
- A particle is divided into a number of sub-particles.
- The contributions of the artificially divided sub-particles can be added.

For a particle with rotational symmetry, the T-matrix is a powerful method for calculating the scattering properties. However, as the aspect ratio of the particle (defined as the ratio of the length of the rotational axis to the maximum dimension perpendicular to the rotational axis) deviates further from unity, the conventional T-matrix method becomes less efficient. Furthermore, when the aspect ratio is significantly large, the T-matrix algorithm diverges due to limited digital precision in numerical simulation. In this study, a many-body iterative T-matrix method (MIBT) is employed to calculate the scattering properties of a prolate particle (i.e., a particle with an aspect ratio larger than unity). The particle is divided into a number of sub-particles for which the scattering properties can be solved with the T-matrix method. The scattering properties of the original particle are acquired by adding the contributions of the artificially divided sub-particles and their interactions. Furthermore, the MBIT method is applicable to prolate particles with the sub-particles having the same or different refractive indices.