Small-angle scattering of polarized light. I. comparison of theoretical predictions for isotropic and anisotropic spheres

Abstract : This paper describes small angle light scattering (SALS) calculations and compares the results for isotropic and anisotropic spheres. For isotropic spheres the exact Mie theory is compared with the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye (RGD) and the anomalous diffraction (AD) approximations in order to study the validity of the approximations. For anisotropic spheres the RGD is compared with the AD approximation. A study of SALS in the RGD approximation shows that the first-order intensity maximum corresponding to a lobe of the four-leaf clover pattern is not only a function of the sphere diameter but also depends on the isotropic and the anisotropic refractive index of the sphere. The practical implications of this are discussed.