Investigation of multiple scattering contributions to the depolarization of light scattered by carbon dioxide and xenon in the critical region

In this first article of a series on multiple light scattering the set-up, procedure and results of experiments on the depolarization of light scattered by Xe and CO2 in the critical region are presented. The theoretical multiple-scattering formulae suggest the introduction of a “scaling” variable D as a measure of the distance to the critical point. This opens the possibility for a unified presentation of the experimental results obtained along several isochores and isotherms and along the coexistence curves of both fluids.