We study numerically, using the Mie theory, light transmission through a multiply scattering medium composed of a collection of uncorrelated, optically inactive spherical particles. The characteristic length over which a plane-wave field is depolarized depends on whether it is initially linearly or circularly polarized and on the size of the particles. In a medium containing particles small compared to the wavelength (Rayleigh regime), the characteristic length of depolarization for incident linearly polarized light is found to exceed that for incident circularly polarized light, while the opposite is true in a medium composed of particles large compared to the wavelength (Mie regime). A comparison of numerical results with the data from measurements on suspensions of polystyrene latex spheres in water is made. Agreement between these simulations and experiment is good for the range of sizes considered in this paper. We also discuss the relevance of the helicity-flip model to the analysis of these data.

• Received 24 September 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.49.1767