National Cancer Institute (source definition)
Photon Correlation Spectroscopy
A type of spectroscopy that utilizes a laser beam to irradiate a sample containing particles in suspension, resulting in light scattering. Rapid fluctuations in scattering intensity, around a mean value at a certain angle, occur because of particle diffusion and are dependent upon on particle size. The calculated correlation function yields a diffusion coefficient, for a given temperature and viscosity, which can be used to calculate particle size.
Review and references
Automated source check (NCI definition)
2026-10-20
2026-10-20
professional use
What it is
A type of spectroscopy that utilizes a laser beam to irradiate a sample containing particles in suspension, resulting in light scattering. Rapid fluctuations in scattering intensity, around a mean value at a certain angle, occur because of particle diffusion and are dependent upon on particle size. The calculated correlation function yields a diffusion coefficient, for a given temperature and viscosity, which can be used to calculate particle size.
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C62329. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-20. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Compliance note
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.