Polarization dependence of EM scattering from Rayleigh scatterers embedded in a dielectric slab. II. Experiment

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the effects of changes in albedo and optical thickness of a scattering medium of latex spheres on the measured scattering cross section (for various linear polarization combinations) and its angular distribution. The results of these experiments were compared with theoretical values of the scattering cross section per unit illuminating beam area calculated using a multiple scattering model that included the effects of multiple reflections between the surfaces of the slab medium. The theoretically calculated angular distributions were found to be in good agreement with corresponding measurements, and similar agreement was found between the calculated and experimental cross-section variation with albedo for the copolarized component at optical thicknesses of 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0. Although satisfactory correspondence between the calculated and measured cross-polarized component variation with albedo was noted for optical thicknesses of 1.0 and 10.0, significant discrepancies were apparent in the data obtained for an optical thickness of 0.1. These discrepanceis were attributed to dissimilarities between the experimental slab scattering medium and the slab scatterer assumed in the theoretical model.