ELECTRIC POLARIZATION OF ONSAGER FLUIDS .2. BIREFRINGENCE .3. ROLE OFUNIVERSAL PAIRWISE INTERACTIONS

A comparative analysis of several methods of interpretation of solvent influence on molar Kerr constants of solutes was done. The analysis w as based on experimentally determined electro-optical and dielectric p roperties of binary solutions of organic substances with various polar ities, polarizabilities and optical anisotropies. It was found that th e role of universal van-der-Waals interactions treated via London-Deby e-Keesom potentials was best accounted for by a modified orientational theory of Kerr effect that developed the ansatz of reactive field and local dielectric permittivity. An extrapolation method of determinati on of gas phase molar Kerr constants of solutes was deduced from the t heory.