Polarization estimation in the propagation of a narrow polarized beam through a multiply scattering medium

Abstract

This work continues development of simplified approaches to study the transformation of polarized light produced by a narrow linearly polarized beam propagating through a multiply scattering medium with highly forward-peaked phase function. This work presents a relatively simple fast technique to evaluate the near-forward degree of linear polarization due to incident beam that is suitable for the case of scattering in media containing large soft scatters, such as the sea water and biological media. Two scalar equations of the approximate analytical vector theory are used to obtain two leading elements of the propagation matrix and through its ratio the linear polarization degree. To solve these equations it is employed the multicomponent approximation which includes the small-angle approximation and approximate asymptotic approach earlier developed. A simplifying approach to solve by using the small-angle approximation the equation that defines small-angle scattering of purely linear polarized part of radiation in a medium with large soft scatters is proposed. Examples of calculations made for the case of light scattering in a water suspension of milk with use of experimental phase function are presented.