It is proposed to experimentally test and improve the photon "correlation transfer" theory for particle characterization in optically dense suspensions. The theory has been developed by the co-P.I.s during the NSF grant CTS-8907149, and is a significant advancement in the field. The basic concept of the photon correlation theory is similar to the radiative transfer theory for the transport of light through multiple scattering media. A variety of experimental condition will be considered, such as anisotropically scattering particles, polarization and various optical densities. The proposed method has potential commercial applications for monitoring particle characteristics in multiphase processing industries, at low and high concentration of solids.
