PONDEROMOTIVE ACTION OF LIGHT IN THE PROBLEM OF MULTIPLE-SCATTERING OF LIGHT IN A RANDOMLY INHOMOGENEOUS-MEDIUM

The time correlation function of light reflected diffusely from a semi infinite randomly inhomogeneous medium is calculated with allowance fo r the acceleration of the scatterers in the field of the laser beam in cident on the medium. An analytical expression is found for the charac teristic coherence time due to the ponderomotive action of light. Ir i s shown that even with laser radiation power densities of the order of 1-10 W laser-acceleration effects substantially alter the character o f the time autocorrelation function of the scattered light and must be taken into account in theoretical calculations. (C) 1998 American Ins titute of Physics. [S0021-3640(98)00109-1].