It is shown that, within the frame of the starting assumptions in the conventional fluctuation treatment, Rayleigh scattering from any liquid cannot ever be smaller, and in most cases will in principle be larger, than the value calculated from the final formulas derived by this treatment. This is a result of additional assumptions which are made in deriving the final formulas and which may be especially inadequate in certain multicomponent liquids, where it may be necessary to consider fluctuations in concentrations of molecular species, rather than of thermodynamic components. The study is restricted to liquids whose molecules or ordered molecular aggregates, if any, are small compared to the wavelength of the light used.
展开▼
