Particle sizing by time-resolved Mie calculations—A numerical study

If a small transparent particle is illuminated with a short laser pulse, the signals of the individual scattering light orders appear temporally successively. Since to each scattered light order belongs a specific optical path through the particle, the particle size can be determined from the time difference between the detected scattered light signals. For the case of a detector position within the backscatter region, which especially is important in measuring practice, the time difference between the specular reflection signal and the signal after a single internal reflection (refraction of second order) must to be evaluated. In the numerical simulation we generate the concerned scattered light signals by using time-resolved Mie calculations and in this paper we present the geometrical models, which permit a correct interpretation of the temporal behavior of these pulse-induced scattered light signals.