Abstract. The anomalous skin effect is treated classically using a convective derivative to describe non-local effects. This approach yields a simple and accurate means by which to evaluate the optical properties of a metal over the entire frequency range in which the anomalous skin effect is significant. Furthermore, it can cater for any mixture of specular and diffuse surface scattering. In the infrared and visible regions, where computational difficulties are encountered with the exact theories, the model provides a more complete description of the optical properties than the approximations presently in use.

Print publication: Issue 8 (August 1982)