The development of laser sources and the improvement of other spectroscopic equipment have led to increased application of inelastic light scattering techniques. A general theory of inelastic scattering from fluctuations in dielectric constant is presented. The experimental techniques are discussed under the headings of Rayleigh, Fabry-Perot and Raman spectroscopy in the frequency ranges <or approximately=107, 108-1011 and 1011-1014 Hz respectively. The largest part of the review is concerned with the information obtained about synthetic and biological polymer systems. Rayleigh spectroscopy allows the measurement of diffusion rates and long-range internal motion, leading to knowledge of polymer conformations and dynamics. Brillouin spectroscopy probes high-frequency relaxation mechanisms and gives values of elastic moduli. Raman spectroscopy gives information about chemical composition and structure and about polymer conformations in a variety of environments. The likely future development of these techniques is discussed.
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I.W. Shepherd (1975) studied this question.