Study of light‐scattering changes induced in tRNA solutions by a strong optical field of picosecond pulses

Abstract

SynopsisChanges in the light-scattering components (A = 0.53 pm) induced by a strong picosecond optical field (A = 1.06 pm) applied to macromolecular transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) solutions were studied. Two beams were polarized vertically, and the intensity of the vertical and horizontal components of the light (A = 0.53 pm) scattered a t an angle of 90° were measured. The electric field of the strong 30-ps laser pulse was 5.0 X 103 esu cgs. The experimentally determined changes allowed for calculation of the mean third-order optical polarizability c, and its anisotropy 6,. The measurements were performed in three different solutions: salt free, with magnesium ions, and without magnesium ions. Changes in tRNA structure reflected in changes of nonlinear light scattering, third-order optical polarizability, and its anisotropy were observed.