Diffraction of light by plasma in the solar system

Abstract

We study the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves in the solar system and develop a Mie theory that accounts for the refractive properties of the free electron plasma in the extended solar corona. We use a generic model for the electron number density distribution and apply the eikonal approximation to find a solution in terms of Debye potentials, which is then used to determine the EM field both within the inner solar system and at large heliocentric distances. As expected, the solution for the EM wave propagating through the solar system is characterized by a plasma-induced phase shift and related change in the light ray's direction of propagation. Our approach quantitatively accounts for these effects, providing a wave-optical treatment for diffraction in the solar plasma. As such, it may be used in practical applications involving big apertures, large interferometric baselines or otherwise widely distributed high-precision astronomical instruments.

arXiv comment33 pages, 1 figure

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• Spectrally resolved imaging with the solar gravitational lens
• Imaging rotating and orbiting exoplanets with the solar gravitational lens
• Deflection of light rays in a moving medium around a spherically symmetric gravitating object
• Light deflection in axially symmetric stationary spacetimes filled with a moving medium