Magnetic field and concentration dependence of light scattering from a ferrofluid

Measurements of light scattering from a ferrofluid were undertaken as functions of both magnetic field and particle concentration. The results show that the distribution pattern of light intensity in space is a continuous banding perpendicular to the field direction. The tight intensity weakens with increasing scattering angle. The experiments also indicate that the scattering coefficient increases both with the magnetic field and with the particle concentration and tends to saturate at higher field strengths. Finally, the experimental results are discussed in terms of an expanded theory of light scattering established by considering the widths of the chains formed in the ferrofluid as functions of both the magnetic field and the particle concentration.