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Multiple scattered radiation emerging from Rayleigh and continental haze layers. I - Radiance, polarization, and neutral pointsThe matrix operator method was used to calculate the polarization of radiation scattered on layers of various optical thicknesses, with results compared for Rayleigh scattering and for scattering from a continental haze. In both cases, there are neutral points arising from the zeros of the polarization of single scattered photons at scattering angles of zero and 180 degrees. The angular position of these Rayleigh-like neutral points (RNP) in the sky shows appreciable variation with the optical thickness of the scattering layer for a Rayleigh phase matrix, but only a small variation for haze L phase matrix. Another type of neutral point exists for non-Rayleigh phase functions that is associated with the zeros of the polarization for single scattering which occurs between the end points of the curve. A comparison of radiances calculated from the complete theory of radiative transfer using Stokes vectors with those obtained from the scalar theory shows that differences of the order of 23% may be obtained for Rayleigh scattering, while the largest difference found for a haze L phase function was of the order of 0.1%.
Document ID
19760039825
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Kattawar, G. W.
(Texas A&M Univ. College Station, TX, United States)
Plass, G. N.
(Texas A&M Univ. College Station, TX, United States)
Hitzfelder, S. J.
(Texas A & M University College Station, Tex., United States)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1976
Publication Information
Publication: Applied Optics
Volume: 15
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
76A22791
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGR-44-001-117
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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