Derivatives of light scattering properties of a nonspherical particle computed with the T-matrix method

Based on the T-matrix formalism, we analytically calculate derivatives of light scattering quantities by a nonspherical particle with respect to its microphysical parameters. Illustrative computations are performed for a spheroid, and the results agree with those obtained by finite differencing. The proposed formalism also predicts correctly derivatives for a sphere obtained by linearized Lorenz–Mie theory.