Scatterlar

Scatterlar is a term used in physics and computer graphics to describe a class of models and materials designed to produce scatter distributions that combine stochastic variation with deterministic bias. In a scatterlar medium, waves or particles undergo multiple scattering events within layered heterogeneity, yielding angular patterns that reflect both random fluctuations and structured influence from the medium’s architecture.

The word is a portmanteau of scatter and lar, a nod to lattice-assisted scattering, and it was coined by Dr. Mina Calder and colleagues in 2012 at the Institute for Complex Media. The concept emerged from work on disordered composites and the need for a framework that could capture both randomness and correlation in scattering processes.

In theory, scatterlar describes a scattering process defined on a lattice of interaction points. Each encounter uses a scatter-map that assigns an angular distribution with a tunable correlation length, allowing researchers to dial between isotropic and strongly biased scattering. The model encompasses a continuum from weak to strong scattering regimes and generalizes conventional single-scatter theory by incorporating interference effects through a defined correlation function among scatter events.

Applications include optical and acoustic transport in composite materials, realistic light transport in computer graphics, and toy models for quantum diffusion in disordered media. Experimental validation comes from neutron and X-ray scattering studies that observe angular patterns consistent with scatterlar predictions in engineered metamaterials and layered media.

See also: Scattering theory, Random media, Radiative transfer, Wave localization.