Light attenuation by disperse layers with a high concentration of orientedanisotropic spherical particles

An analysis is made of the applicability of Beer's law to the calculation o f coefficients of directed (coherent) transmittance of light-scattering med ia formed by oriented anisotropic spherical liquid-crystal droplets. It is shown on the basis of comparison with experimental data that the applicatio n of Beer's law to a layer with a high concentration of anisotropic particl es leads to large errors in the calculation of transmittance. The interfere nce approximation, taking into account the interference of waves scattered by separate particles, leads to better agreement with the experiment than B eer's law, which assumes a linear relation between the attenuation factor o f a disperse medium and the particle concentration. (C) 2001 MAX "Nauka/Int erperiodica".