Radiance and polarization in the diffusion region with an arbitrary scattering phase matrix Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2016 Elsevier Ltd Radiance and polarization patterns in an optically deep region, the so-called diffusion region or asymptotic region, of a homogeneous atmosphere or ocean, depend mainly on the scattering phase matrix and the single-scattering albedo of the medium. The radiance and polarization properties in the diffusion region for an arbitrary scattering phase matrix can be obtained in terms of a series of the generalized spherical functions. The number of terms is closely related to the single-scattering albedo of the medium. If the medium is conservative, the radiance is isotropic in conjunction with no polarization. If the single-scattering albedo is close to 1, several terms are sufficient to obtain the patterns, in which the degree of polarization feature is less than 1%. If the medium is highly absorptive, more expansion terms are required to obtain the diffusion patterns. The examples of simulated radiance and polarization patterns for Rayleigh scattering, HenyeyGreensteinRayleigh scattering, and haze L and cloud C1 scattering, defined by Deirmendjian, are calculated.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY & RADIATIVE TRANSFER

author list (cited authors)

  • Sun, B., Kattawar, G. W., & Yang, P.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Sun, Bingqiang||Kattawar, George W||Yang, Ping

publication date

  • November 2016