Elliptic polarisation of light scattered by colloidal solutions

Abstract

By an analysis of the theoretical conclusions of Mie's theory concerning the elliptic polarisation of the scattered light when the incident light is plane polarised in an arbitrary azimuth, the significance of the phase difference between the vertical and the horizontal components has been pointed out. It has been shown how the experimental investigations so far carried out have failed to bring out clearly the implications of Mie's theory. Using suitable experimental methods to analyse the scattered radiation in some emulsions and monodisperse sulphur sols containing particles which were spherically symmetric and of uniform size, the constancy of the phase difference has been established by three different methods of measurement. The value of the phase difference calculated from the available Mie scattering functions for one sulphur sol agreed well with the measured value and the characteristics of the transversely scattered elliptically polarised light for different azimuths of polarisation of the plane polarised incident light, were in accordance with the predictions of Mie's theory.