Light Scattering by Glasses

Abstract

Previous light scattering investigations have shown that glasses contain inhomogeneities other than density fluctuations from room temperature agitation. These inhomogeneities were investigated by measuring the scattering by several types of commercial optical glass. For most glasses the angular variation of intensity was the same as scattering by a distribution of randomly oriented, anisotropic centers that are small compared to a wavelength of light. This is the same angular variation found for liquids. The scattered intensity was changed by annealing, showing that the inhomogeneities originate with the frozen liquid state. The data may be explained by assuming that the inhomogeneities are principally thermal fluctuations in the liquid which are frozen into the glass at high temperatures.