We report a combined experimental and theoretical simulation of multiplyscattered light dynamics in an ultracold gas of 85Rb atoms. Measurements of thespectral dependence of the time-decay of the scattered light intensity,following pulsed excitation with near resonance radiation, reveals that thedecay for long times is nearly exponential, with a decay constant that islargely independent of detuning from resonance. Monte Carlo simulations of themultiple scattering process show that, for large detunings, near resonancescattering of Fourier components of the excitation pulse plays a significantrole in the effect. This interpretation is supported by the observations, andsuccessful modelling, of beating between Rayleigh scattered light at theexcitation carrier frequency with the Fourier components of the excitationpulse that overlap significantly with the atomic resonance.
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