Scattering of light by large bubbles: Coupling of geometrical and physical optics approximations

International audienceThis paper analyzes various phenomena in modeling the light-scattering properties of large spherical bubbles in the context of geometrical and physical optics approximations. Among these phenomena are interference occurring between higher-order rays, the Goos-Hanchen shift, the tunneling phase and the weak caustic associated with the critical angle. When the phenomena are appropriately taken into account, they allow retrieval of most features of the scattering diagrams predicted by the Lorenz-Mie theory, offering new possibilities for the optical characterization of bubbly flows. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved