The optical immersion effect in disperse systems with supercritical components

The method of optical immersion of randomly inhomogeneous media with porous structures into a supercritical fluid (SCF) is considered. Growth in the fluid density upon isothermal increase in the pressure leads to growth in the refractive index and, accordingly, in diffuse transmission of light through a layer of immersed medium. Experimental data on the small-angle diffuse transmission of a model scattering medium (filter paper, PTFE ribbon) are presented for various SCF pressures. Values of the transport length of laser radiation in these media are recovered as dependent on the SCF refractive index.