Abstract

There is currently no single theoretical treatment of diffuse reflectance data that is definitive and applicable to all cases. Continuous and discontinuous mathematical approaches have each been developed, and each has merits and limitations. Discontinuous approaches usually incorporate the feature of modeling a sample as a series of distinct layers, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the incident beam. The Representative Layer Theory has been proposed as a mechanism for modeling a particulate sample as a series of layers, enabling one to use the discontinuous mathematics. This paper outlines the Representative Layer Theory, compares and contrasts it with other theories of diffuse reflectance and presents examples that illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the various theories.

© 2004 NIR Publications

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy: a comparison of the theories

E. L. Simmons
Appl. Opt. 14(6) 1380-1386 (1975)

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of particulate systems: a comparative study of discrete models

H. S. Shah, P. R. Desai, and M. S. Roy
Appl. Opt. 36(15) 3538-3546 (1997)

Reflectance and Transmittance of Inhomogeneous Diffusing Layers

Åke S:son Stenius
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 44(10) 804-805 (1954)

Anomalies of the optical properties of thin lithium layers and their relation to similar anomalies observed with other alkali metals

Monique Rasigni and Georges Rasigni
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 63(7) 775-785 (1973)

Convolution model of the diffuse reflectance for layered tissues

S. B. Rohde and A. D. Kim
Opt. Lett. 39(1) 154-157 (2014)