NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Intensity and polarization of light scattered by size distributions of randomly oriented nonspherical particlesCalculations of light scattering by small particles are important in many diverse fields of science and engineering. In many cases of practical interest, scattering particles are nonspherical and are distributed over sizes and orientations. However, accurate light scattering computations for ensembles of nonspherical particles are difficult and time-consuming, and the literature in which such calculations are reported is rather scarce. In this paper, the T-matrix approach, as extended recently to randomly oriented particles, is used to calculate rigorously light scattering by size distributions of randomly oriented axially symmetric particles. To model the variation of particle sizes in real ensembles, we use a power law distribution typical of some terrestrial aerosols. Contour plots of intensity and degree of linear polarization for polydisperse prolate and oblate spheroids of different aspect ratios and effective equivalent-sphere size parameters from 0 to 10 are calculated and compared with calculations for equivalent spheres. The angular scattering behavior of nonspherical polydispersions is found to be greatly different from that of spheres, while the scattering properties of oblate and prolate spheroids of the same aspect ratio are similar. With increasing particle size, both intensity and polarization become more shape-dependent. In general, nonspherical particles are stronger side scatterers and weaker backscatterers than equivalent spheres. With increasing aspect ratio of nonspherical particles polarization tends to be predominantly positive. Possible effects of particle nonsphericity on optical remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols are discussed.
Document ID
19940015943
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mishchenko, M. I.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Travis, L. D.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: JPL, Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS)
Subject Category
Communications And Radar
Accession Number
94N20416
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available