Electric field autocorrelation functions for beginning multiple Rayleigh scattering

The polarization-resolved electric field autocorrelation function for p-ord er scattering was derived from the order-of-scattering solution of the exac t equations for electromagnetic multiple Rayleigh scattering and was calcul ated for 2 less than or equal to p less than or equal to 6 for particles un dergoing diffusive motion in an idealized sample cell. It was found that th e polarization-channel and the scattering-angle dependence of the p-order a utocorrelation function approximately decoupled from the delay-time depende nce for p greater than or similar to 3. The polarization-channel and the sc attering-angle dependence were analytically calculated, and the delay-time dependence was analytically approximated. The resulting analytical model fo r the polarization-resolved autocorrelation function for beginning multiple Rayleigh scattering was then tested against experimental autocorrelation d ata. The data were found to be well fitted by the model. (C) 2001 Optical S ociety of America.