An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The strong → scattering that occurs in a fluid near the → critical point. Large density fluctuations bring about inhomogeneities of all sizes. This results in the scattering of light at all wavelengths giving a milky appearance to the fluid.

→ critical; → opalescence.

1) The state of being → opalescent, or emitting an → iridescence like that of an opal.
2) Physics: The milky → iridescent appearance of a dense transparent medium when it is illuminated by → polychromatic visible radiation (such as sunlight) due to local → fluctuations in its density and therefore in its → refractive index. → critical opalescence.

→ opal; → -escence.