Theoretical polarimetric responses of fractal aggregates, in relation withexperimental studies of dust in the solar system

Dust particles in the solar system (e.g, atmospheric hazes, cometary or int erplanetary dust, regolith) are likely to be irregular aggregates whose lig ht scattering properties (phase functions of polarization) are drastically different from those of Mie spheres. However, the observation of the light they scatter may provide informations on their physical properties. If the mechanisms which lead to aggregation are invariant with time, the aggregate s are likely to be fractal particles made up from individual monomers. Comp utations, developped in relation with the CODAG experiment, are performed u sing a Discrete Dipole Approximation, and each monomer is described by one or more dipoles. When the particles are formed from a few monomers made up of numerous dipoles, the polarimetric response of the aggregate is similar to the one of the constituent monomer. When the particles are formed from m any monomers made up of individual dipoles, the phase curves are similar to those observed in the solar system. Our calculations suggest that dust par ticles have a fractal dimension of the order of 2 (Ballistic Cluster-Cluste r Aggregation), and that the values of the real and imaginary part of the c omplex refractive index of the constituent material are high. Those results are in agreement with laboratory measurements on samples representative of astronomical organics and minerals. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.