Theory of Light Scattering from Isotropic Suspension of Macromolecules.

Starting from a dipole array theory of elastic light scattering by arrays of arbitrary shape and composition, we develop longwave asymptotic formulas for all sixteen elements of the Mueller scattering matrix, valid after orientation averaging. We then carry the analysis further, finding the molecular parameter identities which result in the Perrin symmetries of the scattering matrix. We consider the scattering of light from a molecule or a cluster. The scattering may be elastic or inelastic, but we limit ourselves to the special case of transitions from initial states having total angular momentum number J = 0 to final states also having J = 0. We track the zero total angular momentum assumption down to its observable consequences in the Mueller scattering matrix. We present a central multipole calculation of the effect of a static magnetic field on nonresonant elastic scattering by an isotropic solution of molecules that are small compared to wavelength. Results are presented as perturbations to the observable Mueller scattering matrix. We present a closed-form solution to the problem of elastic light scattering by a randomly oriented ensemble of cylinders of finite length. All the Mueller scattering matrix elements are calculated, so the solution is complete, in the sense that all possible polarization effects are treated. We present a new method of analyzing the polarization dependence of nonlinear light scattering (2 in, 1 out), which generalizes the 4-by-4 Mueller matrix used in linear scattering. We apply it to the case of an isotropic ensemble of anisotropic scatterers, obtaining a "superMueller matrix" of dimension 4-by-4-by-4.