Single Particle Extinction and Scattering (SPES) is a technique in
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
that is used to characterise micro and
nanoparticle
A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is a particle of matter 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) in diameter. The term is sometimes used for larger particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less than 100 nm in only two directions. At ...
s suspended in a fluid through two independent parameters, the diameter and the
effective refractive index.
A
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
generates a
gaussian beam
In optics, a Gaussian beam is an idealized beam of electromagnetic radiation whose amplitude envelope in the transverse plane is given by a Gaussian function; this also implies a Gaussian intensity (irradiance) profile. This fundamental (or ...
which focuses inside a flow cell. A particle that passes through the focal region generates an interference in the beam, which is collected with a sensor. Through this signal it is possible to derive the real part and the imaginary part of the forward scattering field from each particle.
The technique was developed to measure aerosols in air and particles in liquid.
References
Experimental physics
Laser science
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