Scattering from a multiphase system

The theory of small-angle X-ray scattering or light scattering from a system of N randomly distributed, internally homogeneous phases is presented. The special case of three components yields a correlation function which is the sum of two exponential terms whose associated `correlation lengths' are complicated functions of all the interphase surfaces and volume fractions and cannot, therefore, be interpreted in a simple way. From the correlation function, three independent parameters are obtained which in principle may be used to determine the three interphase surfaces S₂₁, S₂₃ and S₃₁, provided the volume fractions of the phases are known.