Abstract

A typical integrating sphere configuration for measuring backscatter includes a conventional cuvette with flat windows. This arrangement results in a significant amount of total internal reflection, preventing a large portion of the backscattered flux from entering the integrating sphere–detector system. Use of a semispherical cuvette overcomes this problem. Monte Carlo simulations of a semispherical cuvette window demonstrate that the detected signal varies monotonically with the attenuation, depending only on the probability of backscattering for a given single scattering albedo. That is, only the total backscattering probability matters, regardless of subtle differences in the scattering phase function in the backward direction. The system is calibrated by use of standard microspheres for which the size distribution and the refractive index are known; this makes it possible to compute the exact phase function based on Mie theory. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations for various measured volume scattering functions and for computed phase functions, using particle scattering codes. All the results indicate that the backscattering measurement errors are likely to be less than 10%.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

Spectral variation of the volume scattering function measured over the full range of scattering angles in a coastal environment

Malik Chami, Eugeny B. Shybanov, Gueorgui A. Khomenko, Michael E.-G. Lee, Oleg V. Martynov, and Gennady K. Korotaev
Appl. Opt. 45(15) 3605-3619 (2006)

Variability of relationship between the volume scattering function at 180° and the backscattering coefficient for aquatic particles

Lianbo Hu, Xiaodong Zhang, Yuanheng Xiong, Deric J. Gray, and Ming-Xia He
Appl. Opt. 59(10) C31-C41 (2020)

Estimation of scattering error in spectrophotometric measurements of light absorption by aquatic particles from three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations

Dariusz Stramski and Jacek Piskozub
Appl. Opt. 42(18) 3634-3646 (2003)

Angular shape of the oceanic particulate volume scattering function in the backward direction

James M. Sullivan and Michael S. Twardowski
Appl. Opt. 48(35) 6811-6819 (2009)

Accurate estimation of the backscattering coefficient by light scattering at two backward angles

Hiroyuki Tan, Tomohiko Oishi, Akihiko Tanaka, and Roland Doerffer
Appl. Opt. 54(25) 7718-7733 (2015)