Elastic light scattering by randomly oriented macromolecules: Computation of the complete set of observables

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We present a calculation of all of the angle dependent observables that characterize completely the elastic scattering of light from solutions of macromolecules of arbitrary size and shape. The algorithm embodies the result of an exact analytic average over all orientations of the macromolecule, which may be large compared to the scattered wavelength. Our results are directly comparable to experiment; they are presented as a four-by-four Perrin matrix linking the four Stokes parameters of the incident light to the four Stokes parameters of the scattered light. The Perrin elements which we previously identified as retardation elements behave as they should: When we assume instantaneous electromagnetic interaction among the subunits of the macromolecule, they vanish; when the interaction is assumed to proceed at the speed of light, they are finite and may have easily measurable magnitude. Our algorithm captures all of the physical effects present in the Mie solution for scattering by spheres; but unlike the Mie solution it may be applied to scattering bodies of any shape, and with local variations in anisotropy.