Visualization of scattering media upon backscattering of a linearly polarized nonmonochromatic light

The method of polarization visualization of multiply scattering macroinhomogeneous media, based on analysis of the spatial distributions of polarization characteristics of a linearly polarized radiation backscattered from a medium, is discussed. The effect of optical characteristics of the medium and the scattering geometry on the quality of the images obtained in the case of visualization of an absorbing heterogeneity immersed into a multiply scattering medium is considered. The comparative analysis of the quality of formed images was performed with the use of different polarization characteristics of the backscattered radiation as a visualization parameter. The theoretical interpretation of the obtained experimental results is given within the framework of the phenomenological approach based on the concept of the distribution of the effective optical paths of partial components of the scattered optical field. To calculate the probability density of the effective optical paths, the statistical simulation method was used.