Inverse scattering problem involving soft Mie particles

The inverse-scattering problem for a polydispersion f(a) of Mie particles is discussed. A new approach based on the mean value theorem and the method of employing Lagrange multipliers is developed. We show that the mean value theorem enables us to obtain easily the key parameters associated with the distribution function f(a). The method of Lagrange multipliers may then be used to construct f(a), the formal solution to the inverse-scattering problem. The workability and the effectiveness of this approach are also demonstrated. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.