Light scattering by closely packed clusters: Shielding of particles by each other in the near field

Equations of the theory of light scattering by clusters (aggregates) of spherical particles are analyzed, and peculiarities of interaction of scatterers in the near field are discussed. It is shown that one of the manifestations of the near field is a mutual shielding of particles. For simple clusters consisting of two identical spherical particles (bisphere), the mutual shielding leads to a decrease in the intensity of light scattered along the axis of the bisphere. If the bispheres are small as compared to the wavelength, shielding is caused by electrostatic interaction of charges induced in the particles by the external field. Calculations of the intensity of light scattered by randomly oriented clusters of spherical particles show that for the model ignoring the near field the intensity is significantly larger than for the model with the near field taken into account.