  The conservation of the photon total angular momentum in the incident
direction in an axially symmetric scattering process is a very well known fact.
Nonetheless, the re-distribution of this conserved magnitude into its spin and
orbital components, an effect known as the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of
light, is still a matter of active research. Here, we discuss the effect of the
absorption on the SOI in the scattering of a sub-wavelength Silicon particle.
Describing the scattering process of a electric and magnetic dipole, we show
via the asymmetry parameter that the SOI of light in the scattering of high
refractive index nanoparticles endures in the presence of optical losses. This
effect results in optical mirages whose maximum values surpass those of an
electric dipolar scatterer.
