Determination of the scaling characteristics of time-dependent optical properties of microalgae using electromagnetic scattering

The time-dependent optical properties of microalgae are crucial for light transfer in photobioreactor (PBR) designs. Here, the time-dependent optical properties were derived using electromagnetic scattering theory informed by the experimentally measured optical properties of Chlorella protothecoides. The temporal scaling functions (TSFs) of nearly wavelength-independent absorption and scattering cross-sections were demonstrated using the electromagnetic scattering theory, leading to the first concrete expression of the TSF. The TSF establishes the relationship between the time-dependent absorption/scattering cross-sections at the stationery and growth phases of microalgal development. The concrete expression of the TSF provides a new way to calculate the time-dependent optical properties of microalgae using electromagnetic scattering theory. The areas where the TSF of microalgae has exciting potential are in remote sensing and photobioreactor applications.