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1. Introduction to light scattering

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Elastic Light Scattering Spectrometry
This chapter is in the book Elastic Light Scattering Spectrometry
Cheng Zhi Huang, Jian Ling, Yuan Fang Li1 Introduction to light scattering1.1 Synopsis of light scattering1.1.1 Light scattering phenomenonWhy is the sky blue? Why is the deep sea mazarine? And why is the lake green? Allthese questions are concerned with light scattering and its related opticalphenomena.Light scattering is an optical natural phenomenon that exists extensively. Literally,light scattering refers to a phenomenon that scatters light in all directions. When thelight passes through an inhomogeneous medium, photons of different wavelengthsinteract and collide with the inhomogeneous area of the medium, scattering the light indifferent directions. Therefore, the light can be observed in other directions besides thedirection of the incident light. For example, in a dark night, when you turn on theelectric torch, you can observe the light cross, and this is because the electric torchlight is scattered by the suspended particles in the air; hence, the light is visible to oureyes. The larger the particles, the clearer would be seen for thesefloating particles. It isbecause of the existence of these particles resulted in scattering of the electric torchlight that theflashlight could not spread to infinity.1.1.1.1 Light scattering acting as an important form of light decayThe same as the light absorption, light scattering also can make the light passingthrough a medium decay. For example, when a white light passes through water-diluted milk, in the direction where the light advances, the milk appears pink, whilefrom the side and above, it appears light blue. This is because the white light collideswith small particles in milk emulsion, causing variation of different degrees for thelight of different wavelengths from the original incidence direction of the white light.A short-wavelength light has more variation, while a long-wavelength light has lessvariation.In optical propagation, theflow of photons interacts with the inhomogeneous areaof a medium, such as an atom, a molecule, molecular aggregates, or particles ofdifferent sizes, and so light intensity changes in terms of spatial distribution, polariza-tion state, or frequency. In other words, when the light propagates through a medium,if there is any inhomogeneity, it can lead to light scattering. Thus, light scattering is aform of interaction between theflow of photons and the inhomogeneous area, whichwidely exist in nature and our daily life.https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110573138-001
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Cheng Zhi Huang, Jian Ling, Yuan Fang Li1 Introduction to light scattering1.1 Synopsis of light scattering1.1.1 Light scattering phenomenonWhy is the sky blue? Why is the deep sea mazarine? And why is the lake green? Allthese questions are concerned with light scattering and its related opticalphenomena.Light scattering is an optical natural phenomenon that exists extensively. Literally,light scattering refers to a phenomenon that scatters light in all directions. When thelight passes through an inhomogeneous medium, photons of different wavelengthsinteract and collide with the inhomogeneous area of the medium, scattering the light indifferent directions. Therefore, the light can be observed in other directions besides thedirection of the incident light. For example, in a dark night, when you turn on theelectric torch, you can observe the light cross, and this is because the electric torchlight is scattered by the suspended particles in the air; hence, the light is visible to oureyes. The larger the particles, the clearer would be seen for thesefloating particles. It isbecause of the existence of these particles resulted in scattering of the electric torchlight that theflashlight could not spread to infinity.1.1.1.1 Light scattering acting as an important form of light decayThe same as the light absorption, light scattering also can make the light passingthrough a medium decay. For example, when a white light passes through water-diluted milk, in the direction where the light advances, the milk appears pink, whilefrom the side and above, it appears light blue. This is because the white light collideswith small particles in milk emulsion, causing variation of different degrees for thelight of different wavelengths from the original incidence direction of the white light.A short-wavelength light has more variation, while a long-wavelength light has lessvariation.In optical propagation, theflow of photons interacts with the inhomogeneous areaof a medium, such as an atom, a molecule, molecular aggregates, or particles ofdifferent sizes, and so light intensity changes in terms of spatial distribution, polariza-tion state, or frequency. In other words, when the light propagates through a medium,if there is any inhomogeneity, it can lead to light scattering. Thus, light scattering is aform of interaction between theflow of photons and the inhomogeneous area, whichwidely exist in nature and our daily life.https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110573138-001
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of Contributing Authors VII
  4. 1. Introduction to light scattering 1
  5. 2. Electromagnetic wave and light scattering theory 28
  6. 3. Detection of light scattering signals 59
  7. 4. Resonance light scattering spectroscopy 82
  8. 5. Light scattering spectral probes of organic small molecule 105
  9. 6. Light scattering nanospectral probes 141
  10. 7. Nano light scattering spectrometry 181
  11. 8. Light scattering microscopic bioimaging 222
  12. 9. Light scattering spectrometry of inorganic ions 241
  13. 10. Light scattering spectrometry of organic small molecules and drugs 263
  14. 11. Light scattering spectrometry of nucleic acids 280
  15. 12. Light scattering spectrometry of proteins 300
  16. 13. Light scattering spectrometry of bioparticles 323
  17. 14. Aquatic environmental light scattering spectrometry 350
  18. 15. Atmospheric environmental light scattering spectrometry 375
  19. Index 400
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110573138-001

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of Contributing Authors VII
  4. 1. Introduction to light scattering 1
  5. 2. Electromagnetic wave and light scattering theory 28
  6. 3. Detection of light scattering signals 59
  7. 4. Resonance light scattering spectroscopy 82
  8. 5. Light scattering spectral probes of organic small molecule 105
  9. 6. Light scattering nanospectral probes 141
  10. 7. Nano light scattering spectrometry 181
  11. 8. Light scattering microscopic bioimaging 222
  12. 9. Light scattering spectrometry of inorganic ions 241
  13. 10. Light scattering spectrometry of organic small molecules and drugs 263
  14. 11. Light scattering spectrometry of nucleic acids 280
  15. 12. Light scattering spectrometry of proteins 300
  16. 13. Light scattering spectrometry of bioparticles 323
  17. 14. Aquatic environmental light scattering spectrometry 350
  18. 15. Atmospheric environmental light scattering spectrometry 375
  19. Index 400
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