Forward scattering of polarized light from a turbid slab: theory and Monte Carlo simulations.

It is proved that if reciprocity and mirror symmetry hold for single scattering by a particle, they also hold for multiple scattering in turbid slab media. Monte Carlo simulations generate a reduced effective Mueller matrix for forward scattering, which satisfies reciprocity and mirror symmetry, but satisfies only reciprocity if the medium contains chiral components. The scattering matrix was factorized by using the Lu-Chipman polar decomposition, which affords the polarization parameters as a function of the radial distance from the center. The depolarization coefficients decrease with increasing distance, whereas the scattering-induced linear diattenuation and retardance become larger in the middle-distance range. The optical rotation for a chiral medium increases with increasing distance.