Symmetry indications of the polarization state of light scattered by fluids in electric and magnetic fields

Abstract

Spatial symmetry operations and reciprocity relations are used to estab­lish constraints on the forms of the Mueller matrices describing Rayleigh scattering by fluids, both in the absence or presence of electric and magnetic fields. Deduced forms of the scattering matrices are used to assess the response of a number of different scattering systems to six basic input polarization states; and in each case the analysed intensity components of the output beam transmitted by analysers which select each of the basic polarization states are evaluated in terms of the Mueller matrix elements. Tables of matrix forms and analysed scattered intensities are presented, the use of which provides systematic insight into a wide range of possible differential light-scattering experiments on fluids.