Polarization Characteristics of the Coherent Backscattering Peak for Large Nonspherical Particles with Random Orientation in Space

Polarization elements of the light scattering matrix in the vicinity of the backscattering direction of a perfect hexagonal column and a particle of a random convex polyhedral shape are studied within the physical optics approximation. The study is carried out for particles with a size of 10–100 µm for a wavelength of 0.532 µm. It is shown that, within the vicinity of the coherent backscattering peak, polarization elements of the matrix have significant local extrema. At the same time, their angular width is essentially independent of the particle shape but significantly depends on the size. The results obtained are of interest for the interpretation of lidar measurements in cirrus clouds.