Electro-optical study of the correlation between dimensions and polarizability of particles in colloid systems

The applicability of methods of molecular electro-optics for the study of c olloid systems is analyzed. It is shown that the basic formulas of molecula r electro-optics can be applied for the calculation of electrical and geome tric characteristics of particles of colloid size. The basic integral equat ions describing electrooptical effects in colloid systems are presented to find distributions of particles over their size and polarizability anisotro py. The accuracy of their solutions is evaluated by mathematical simulation . Studying the dichroism induced by an external electric field in aqueous c olloids of anisylidenbenzidine and graphite, the polarizability and size di stribution functions are found for particles with an "optical weight." From the resulting distribution functions, the statistical dependences of the p olarizability anisotropy of those particles on their size are found and ana lyzed. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".