SEQUOIA SCIENTIFIC, INC.
This project will result in an instrument that measures the full volume scattering function of seawater, with attention to polarization. A single, polarized laser beam will enter water. Light scattered from this beam by particles in seawater is the primary measurement. This scattered light is first split into two components - light scattered with polarization compoent parallel to the plane of scattering, and perpendicular to this plane. From these measurements, important elements of the Mueller matrix of seawater will be determined. These elements describe the fundamental properties of seawater, from which other calculations can be enabled, e.g. color of the sea, radiance distribution of seawater, and radiative transfer within the water column. The final deliverable is a design and a prototype instrument, although rights to the intellectual property of the design will remain with the company.