Determination of Radiative Transport Properties of Particle Suspensions by a Single-Scattering Experiment

A light-scattering experiment on particles was performed to determine radiative transport properties of the suspension. Extinction coefficient, scattering coefficient, and phase function are the important properties. A generalized light-scattering experimental setup was designed and constructed to perform systematic research on light scattering by particles. By measuring the transmitted energy and angular scattered-energy distribution around a particle suspension, complete information on radiative transport properties could be obtained. This study focused on the performance of the experimental setup with purely scattering particle suspensions. Transparent polymer monospheres with diameters of 0.091, 0.546, 1.001, and 7.04 μm were used in separate suspensions of water for this study. The radiative transport properties obtained experimentally are compared with results from Mie theory. The single-scattering condition was examined and maintained during this experiment. The number concentrations of all but the smallest particles were independently measured using an optical liquid-borne particle counter.