Rayleigh scattering

Rayleigh scattering is elastic scattering of electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than its wavelength. For small particles, its intensity varies approximately as the inverse fourth power of wavelength.

Dipole scattering: Scattering produced when an incident electromagnetic field drives an oscillating electric dipole in a particle. The induced dipole radiates the scattered light in the basic Rayleigh regime.
Blue sky: The daytime sky's blue appearance, produced chiefly by atmospheric scattering of sunlight. Air molecules scatter shorter visible wavelengths more strongly toward an observer.
Wavelength: The distance between successive corresponding points of a wave, such as neighboring crests. Particle size must be compared with wavelength to determine whether the Rayleigh approximation applies.
Raman scattering: Inelastic scattering of light that shifts its frequency through exchanges with molecular vibrations or rotations. Unlike Rayleigh scattering, Raman scattering changes the scattered light's frequency.
Rayleigh criterion: A rule for resolving two point sources based on overlap of their diffraction patterns. It shares Lord Rayleigh's name but concerns image resolution, not scattering.
Polarizability: A measure of how readily a particle's charge distribution is distorted by an external electric field. It determines how strongly a small particle responds to the incident field.
Rayleigh scattering in Earth's atmosphere: Scattering of sunlight by atmospheric molecules, which affects sky color and the transmission of light. This is the atmospheric setting behind many familiar Rayleigh effects.
Electromagnetic radiation: Energy propagated through space as coupled electric and magnetic fields. Rayleigh scattering describes how matter redirects this broad class of radiation.
Brillouin scattering: Inelastic scattering of light by acoustic or other low-frequency density waves in a medium. Its frequency shifts distinguish it from the elastic Rayleigh component.
Astronomical extinction: The attenuation of light from celestial objects by absorption and scattering along the line of sight. Wavelength-dependent scattering contributes to the dimming and reddening of starlight.

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