Quantitative Light-Scattering Angular Correlations of Conglomerate Particles

Abstract

Quantitative analyses were performed of the fluctuations in the light-scattering intensities associated with micrometer-size glycerol droplets containing spherical latex inclusions. Scattering intensities at two angles (the near-forward and near-backward directions) were measured as a function of time. We analyzed these signals using two techniques. We find that calculated autocorrelation time constants associated with these signals are not consistent with current models that are based on interference of light scattering from latex inclusions exhibiting Stokes-Einstein diffusion. The intensity fluctuations at different scattering angles display extended periods of both positive and negative correlations with characteristic time constants on the order of seconds. The time constants associated with the cross-correlations provide information on the physical parameters of the inclusions.