Practical method for calculation of multiple light scattering

Abstract

We present a method for directly simulating multiple light scattering to all orders. This method is quite general and should be adaptable for use with any optical geometry. It has been tested by using the simulation to calculate the amount of multiple scattering and to correct light scattering data for a critical binary fluid mixture near its consolute point in a standard scattering geometry that rejects most multiple scattering. Such geometries make simulation difficult since very few simulated scattering events are accepted by the optics. We also present, as an example of the flexibility of the method, an analysis of multiple scattering from a critical binary fluid mixture undergoing phase separation in a very different optical geometry which does not reject multiple scattering.