Definition: Scattering coefficient is the ratio between the power scattered in the unit volume and the power incident per unit area; measured in
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com m^{-1}](http://latamnirs.org/wp-content/ql-cache/quicklatex.com-2030f38f90e3f285a4c486f0d77e82a2_l3.png)
, typically
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com {mm}^{-1}](http://latamnirs.org/wp-content/ql-cache/quicklatex.com-4ae363e56afe36daa5103d0b2625d357_l3.png)
or
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com {cm}^{-1}](http://latamnirs.org/wp-content/ql-cache/quicklatex.com-c3f1e537078e072dac67af22ee4caf1f_l3.png)
. It is the reciprocal of the average distance traveled by a photon before it undergoes a scattering event within a medium.
Alternative definition:
Synonym: None
References: https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2624517
Related terms: Reduced scattering coefficient