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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
11:34
Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Two component mie scattering models of sargasso sea particles
Applied Optics
|February 4, 2010
Summary
Organic particles dominate light scattering in the Sargasso Sea, despite inorganic particles being more numerous. Smaller inorganic particles have minimal impact on the volume scattering function.
Area of Science:
- Ocean optics
- Marine particle characterization
Background:
- Particle suspensions in the Sargasso Sea exhibit complex scattering properties.
- Coulter Counter observations reveal a two-component particle distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate the volume scattering function for a two-component particle suspension.
- To determine the contribution of organic and inorganic particles to light scattering.
Main Methods:
- Modeling particle suspensions with assigned refractive indices for organic (1.01-0.01i) and inorganic (1.15) components.
- Comparing model scattering functions with observed data.
Main Results:
- Models require a significant organic particle volume fraction to match observed scattering.
- Organic particles contribute less than 10% to the total scattering function.
- Inorganic particles <2.5 micrometers do not significantly affect the volume scattering function.
Conclusions:
- Organic matter plays a crucial role in light scattering by Sargasso Sea particles.
- The concentration of small inorganic particles is insufficient to influence overall scattering significantly.
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