Enhanced backscattering of polarized light: Effect of particle nonsphericity on the helicity-preserving enhancement factor

We analyze theoretically the effect of particle nonsphericity on the backscattering enhancement factor ζ_hp in the helicity-preserving channel. Using numerically exact T-matrix and vector radiative-transfer codes, we have performed computations for optically semi-infinite homogeneous layers composed of polydisperse, randomly oriented oblate spheroids with the real part of the refractive index equal to 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6, the imaginary part of the refractive index equal to 0 and 0.01, various values of the equal-surface-area-sphere effective size parameter, and aspect ratios 12. Our computations demonstrate that whereas for spheres ζ_hp≡2, for spheroids the helicity-preserving enhancement factor can deviate quite significantly from the value 2. The magnitude of this deviation varies substantially with particle microphysical parameters and illumination geometry.