Coherent Backscattering by Solar System Dust Particles

Distribution of Retrograde Cometary Dust Particles in the Solar System

Trapping of Dust by Coherent Vortices in the Solar Nebula

We develop the idea proposed by Barge & Sommeria (1995) and Tanga et al. (1996) that large-scale vortices present in the solar nebula can concentrate dust particles and facilitate the formation of planetesimals and planets. We introduce an exact vortex solution of the incompressible 2D Euler equation and study the motion of dust particles in that vortex. In particular, we derive analytical expr...

Electromagnetically induced coherent backscattering.

We demonstrate a strong coherent backward wave oscillation using forward propagating fields only. This is achieved by applying laser fields to an ultradispersive medium with proper chosen detunings to excite a molecular vibrational coherence that corresponds to a backward propagating wave. The physics then has much in common with the propagation of ultraslow light. Applications to coherent scat...

Coherent backscattering spectroscopy.

Coherent backscattering (CBS) of light in random media has been previously investigated by use of coherent light sources. Here we report a novel method of CBS measurement that combines low spatial coherence, broadband illumination, and spectrally resolved detection. We show that low spatial coherence illumination leads to an anomalously broad CBS peak and a dramatic speckle reduction; the latte...

Coherent Backscattering of Light by Cold Atoms

Light propagating in an optically thick sample experiences multiple scattering. It is now known that interferences alter this propagation, leading to an enhanced backscattering, a manifestation of weak localization of light in such diffuse samples. This phenomenon has been extensively studied with classical scatterers. In this letter we report the first experimental evidence for coherent backsc...