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Domain of Applicability of the Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA): A Critical Analysis for X-ray and Visible-Light Interface Scattering
Abstract
The Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA) is established for X-ray interface scattering, yet its domain of applicability has never been stated explicitly. The DWBA implicitly rests on the small refractive index deviation (SRID) condition - satisfied by X-rays (|n−1| ∼ 10−6) but violated by visible light (|n−1| ∼ 0.5). The DWBA mixes microscopic and macroscopic Maxwell equations, whereas a rigorous optical theory must be built on the macroscopic Maxwell equations and constitutive relations. Rigorous alternatives for two specific inconsistencies in the standard DWBA are discussed. The Extended Transfer Matrix Approach (ETMA) for visible-light interface scattering is outlined.
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BibTeX
@misc{sigel2026domain,
title = {{Domain of Applicability of the Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA): A Critical Analysis for X-ray and Visible-Light Interface Scattering}},
author = {Reinhard Sigel},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.14054},
eprint = {2610.14054},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.14054},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Domain of Applicability of the Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA): A Critical Analysis for X-ray and Visible-Light Interface Scattering
AU - Reinhard Sigel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.14054
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.14054
AB - The Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA) is established for X-ray interface scattering, yet its domain of applicability has never been stated explicitly. The DWBA implicitly rests on the small refractive index deviation (SRID) condition - satisfied by X-rays (|n−1| ∼ 10^−6) but violated by visible light (|n−1| ∼ 0.5). The DWBA mixes microscopic and macroscopic Maxwell equations, whereas a rigorous optical theory must be built on the macroscopic Maxwell equations and constitutive relations. Rigorous alternatives for two specific inconsistencies in the standard DWBA are discussed. The Extended Transfer Matrix Approach (ETMA) for visible-light interface scattering is outlined.
ER -