Morphological Models for Inhomogeneous Particles: Light Scattering by Aerosols, Cometary Dust, and Living Cells

Abstract

ParticleMorphological modelspopulationsParticle populationsnature inin nature can often be composedInhomogeneous particlesof different chemicalLight scatteringaerosolscomponentsLight scatteringcometary dustthat are either externallyLight scatteringliving cellsor internally mixed. By “external mixtureParticle populationsexternal mixture”, we refer to an ensemble of particles in which different chemical species are contained in physically separated particles; an “internal mixtureParticle populationsinternal mixture” refers to the case in which different chemical components are contained in the same particles. Examples of internal mixtures are liquid-phase aerosols containing water and dissolved sodium chloride. In that case, the two chemical species are homogeneously mixed on the molecular level. Other examples are solid-phase light-absorbing carbonLight-absorbing carbon(LAC) aggregates onto which a coating of liquid-phase material has condensed. In the latter case, we are dealing with an inhomogeneous mixtureHomogeneous mixtureof different chemical species. It is such inhomogeneous particlesInhomogeneous particlethat will be the focus of this chapter.