A refractive index chart for a scattering sphere

The Mie solution for the scattered electromagnetic fields from a sphere is briefly summarized. A refractive index chart is introduced which makes it possible to evaluate the modal coefficient for lossy materials without evaluating Bessel functions of complex argument. This refractive index chart is used for this purpose and also to find spheres made of different material that have the same scattering pattern and also to find the condition for resonance in small spheres. It is also useful in establishing a solution for the inverse problem for small spheres, e.g., evaluating the constitutive parameters from the scattered fields.