A qualitative approach to inverse scattering theory (Q368239)

This monograph provides an introduction to the ideas of inverse scattering theory in the framework of classical integral equation methods and is intended as an (advanced) introductory text into this particular research field. Motivational starting point is the scattering of electromagnetic fields. However, to allow for a more easily accessible approach to some core ideas of inverse scattering, the scatterer is assumed to be an infinite cylinder and by suitable assumptions on the material and the direction of incidence the discussion is reduced to a two-dimensional setting for an elliptic type differential operator of the form \(-\nabla\cdot A\nabla-\kappa^{2}n\) with \(A\) a \(2\times2\)-matrix-valued function which is uniformly strictly positive definite and \(n\) a strictly positive scalar function, \(\kappa\in\mathbb{R}\). The underlying geometry can then be described by a compact surface \(S\) given as the smooth boundary manifold \(\partial D\) of a bounded open set \(D\), the cross-section of the cylindrical scatterer. We shall refer to this cross-section as the interior domain \(S_{-}\). The complement of \(S_{-}:=D\) will be referred to as the exterior domain \(S_{+}:=\mathbb{R}^{2}\setminus\overline{D}\). In adjustment to the use of integral equations to deal with the unbounded exterior domain \(A_{+}:=A_{|S_{+}}\) and \(n_{+}:=n_{|S_{+}}\) are assumed to be equal to 1. Thus, the exterior boundary value problem, which is considered in chapters 3 and 4, simplifies to \[ -\nabla\cdot\nabla u_{+}=k^{2}u_{+}\;\;\text{in}\;S_{+}=\mathbb{R}^{2}\setminus\overline{D}. \] At the boundary of \(S_{+}\) an impedance type boundary condition of the form \[ \nu\cdot\nabla u_{+}+\mathrm{i}\lambda u_{+}=g\;\;\text{on}\;S=\partial S_{\pm}=\partial D \] is imposed. Here \(\lambda\) is the impedance function, \(\nu\) is the exterior normal to \(S\), i.e. pointing into \(S_{+}\), and \(\nu\cdot\nabla u_{+}\) on \(S\) is to be understood in the sense of continuous extension (in the normal direction) of this type of term from \(S_{+}\). The data \(g\) are for example determined by the incident waves. For \(k\in\mathbb{R}\) a Sommerfeld type radiation condition has to be imposed: \[ \sqrt{\left|x\right|}\left(\frac{x}{\left|x\right|}\cdot A_{+}\nabla u_{+}\left(x\right)-\mathrm{i}\, ku_{+}\left(x\right)\right)\to0 \] as \(\left|x\right|\to\infty\). Whereas chapter 3 focuses on solving this boundary value problem (direct problem), chapter 4 addresses the question on the approximate recovery of the shape of the obstacle \(S_{-}\) and the impedance \(\lambda\) from the asymptotic behavior of the solution at infinity (far-field data), i.e. the inverse problem. These chapters are preceded by the foundational chapters 1 and 2 collecting material from functional analysis on operators, Sobolev spaces and regularization of ill-posed problems, which the inverse scattering problems are. In chapters 5 and 6 the discussion focuses on transmission problems. In this situation we have in \(\mathbb{R}^{2}\setminus S\), with \(A_{\pm}:=A_{|S_{\pm}}\), \[ -\nabla\cdot A_{\pm}\nabla u_{\pm}=k^{2}n_{\pm}u_{\pm}\;\;\text{in}\;S_{\pm}. \] For the exterior domain part again the Sommerfeld radiation condition is needed: \[ \sqrt{\left|x\right|}\left(\frac{x}{\left|x\right|}\cdot A_{+}\nabla u_{+}\left(x\right)-\mathrm{i}\, ku_{+}\left(x\right)\right)\to0 \] as \(\left|x\right|\to\infty\). On the interface \(S\) the so-called transmission conditions \[ u_{+}-u_{-}=f\;\;\text{on}\;S, \] \[ \nu\cdot A_{+}\nabla u_{+}-\nu\cdot A_{-}\nabla u_{-}=g\;\;\text{on}\;S \] (recall the general assumption \(A_{+}=1\) , \(n_{+}=1\)) are imposed. Here again the data \(f,g\) can be interpreted as induced by the incident waves. Chapter 5 is concerned with solving this transmission problem (and obtaining its far-field pattern; direct problem), which involves coupling the integral equation approach for the exterior domain with variational methods for the interior domain. In the following chapter 6 again the inverse issue of approximately recovering the obstacle from far-field data is discussed (inverse problem). Here the far-field behavior is found to be closely linked to the so-called interior transmission problem. This is the problem formally obtained from the above transmission problem by replacing the exterior domain by another copy of \(D\) so that \(S_{+}=S_{-}=D\). Kirsch's factorization method is discussed in chapter 7 as an improved alternative method to the previously employed so-called linear sampling method for approximate obstacle recovery. Chapter 8 starts out by returning to the initial topic of exterior boundary value problems with impedance type boundary condition by adding the complication that on parts of the boundary Dirichlet data are prescribed (mixed boundary value problems). Then the discussion is extended also to the transmission case. In the last sections of this chapter the discussion is extended to include so-called crack problems. Here \(A_{\pm}=1\), \(n_{\pm}=1\) and the crack is actually a part \(\Gamma\) of the interface \(S\), where homogeneous transmission conditions are not imposed. Instead it is required that the solution \(u=u_{\pm}\) is prescribed on \(\Gamma\) (Dirichet crack) or \(u_{-}\) is prescribed on \(\Gamma\) and the impedance boundary term \(\nu\cdot\nabla u_{+}+\mathrm{i}\lambda u_{+}\) is prescribed on \(\Gamma\) (mixed crack problem). Also for this case the direct and inverse problems are solved. In chapter 9 the transmission eigenvalue problem for the spherically symmetric case is discussed. This leads to a reduction to the 1-dimensional case and allows for very explicit consideration of the direct and inverse problems. Finally, chapter 10 provides an outlook and references on how the more complicated 3-dimensional situation for electromagnetic field scattering can be approached. The monograph can serve as a focused record of the essential building blocks of the integral equation approach to scattering theory and is well able to act as a door-opener into the intricacies of the vast body of literature in the field of electromagnetic scattering.