Browsing by Subject "Light scattering"
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Item An Investigation of Light Scattering by Irregular Ice Crystals via PSTD(2014-07-28) Zhang, JianingWe implement the Pseudo-Spectral Time Domain(PSTD) algorithm with Convolutional Perfect Matched Layer(CPML). Comparisons were conducted to test its performance with Mie's method. Results illustrate its good performance. More tests are still needed to determine the validity PSTD with CPML. We propose a random field model for surface irregularities of ice crystals with roughened surfaces. Results using this model show that reflection probability decreases exponentially as the roughness is increased linearly. We also apply a holographic Muller matrix imaging technique for roughened particle characterization within this model. Simulations indicate that even a small perturbation on the surface will result in quite different patterns using this holographic Muller matrix method. This imaging method may be useful for the cloud imaging and particle characterization. We also study the effects of volume irregularities, in the form of air bubbles, on the scattering properties of ice crystals. Results show that such volume inhomogeneity leads to phase functions smoothing and the reduction of backscattering in comparison with homogeneous cases. The distribution of air bubbles in ice crystals also has a significant influence on the phase function of inhomogeneous ice crystals.Item Applications of the Generalized DDA Formalism and the Nature of Polarized Light in Deep Oceans(2010-01-16) You, YuThe first part of this study is focused on numerical studies of light scattering from a single microscopic particle using the Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) method. The conventional DDA formalism is generalized to two cases: (a) inelastic light scattering from a dielectric particle and (b) light scattering from a particle with magnetic permeability u /= 1. The first generalization is applied to simulations of Raman scattering from bioaerosol particles, and the second generalization is applied to confi rmation of irregular invisibility cloaks made from metamaterials. In the second part, radiative transfer in a coupled atmosphere-ocean system is solved to study the asymptotic nature of the polarized light in deep oceans. The rate at which the radiance and the polarization approach their asymptotic forms in an ideal homogeneous water body are studied. Effects of the single scattering albedo and the volume scattering function are studied. A more realistic water body with vertical pro files for oceanic optical properties determined by a Case 1 water model is then assumed to study the e ffects of wavelength, Raman scattering, and surface waves. Simulated Raman scattering patterns computed from the generalized DDA formalism are found to be sensitive to the distribution of Raman active molecules in the host particle. Therefore one can infer how the Raman active molecules are distributed from a measured Raman scattering pattern. Material properties of invisibility cloaks with a few irregular geometries are given, and field distributions in the vicinity of the cloaked particles computed from the generalized DDA formalism con rm that the designated material properties lead to invisibility. The radiative transfer model calculation in deep oceans suggest that the underwater radiance approaches its asymptotic form more quickly than the polarization does. Therefore, a vector radiative transfer solution is necessary for asymptotic light field studies. For a typical homogeneous water body whose scattering property is characterized by the Petzold phase function, a single scattering albedo of w0 > 0:8 is required in order that the asymptotic regime can be reached before there are too few photons to be detected.Item Effects of Chirality and Coherence on Light Scattering(2014-07-12) Liu, JianpingIn the first part of this dissertation, we study the light scattering properties of particles with chiral structures. Special attention is paid to the dinoflagellates, known for their circular polarization effects and as a causative agent of the red tide. Based on experimental observations and previous works, we build a helical plywood liquid crystal model for the nucleus of dinoflagellates, and apply the Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) method to investigate the light scattering properties of dinoflagellates. The backscattering signals display strong sensitivity to the wavelength of the incident beam, and they are most prominent when the wavelength matches the pitch of the chromatic helix. Our results indicates a promising means to monitor and detect the specific species of dinoflagellates. In the second part of the dissertation, we investigate the the problem of light scattering when the incident light has finite coherence length. The conventional Lorenz-Mie theory and DDA method are generalized to include a partially spatially coherent source. The formalism is applied to atmospheric particles such as water droplets and hexagonal ice crystals. Given that the solar source is partially coherent, our results have practical implications in remote sensing. Using the same technique, we also study the effects of incoherence on particle characterization using digital holographic microscopy. We show that holography is rather robust against incoherence and demonstrate the possibility of retrieving the coherence length of the illumination.Item Retrieval of Non-Spherical Dust Aerosol Properties from Satellite Observations(2013-08-01) Huang, XinAn accurate and generalized global retrieval algorithm from satellite observations is a prerequisite to understand the radiative effect of atmospheric aerosols on the climate system. Current operational aerosol retrieval algorithms are limited by the inversion schemes and suffering from the non-uniqueness problem. In order to solve these issues, a new algorithm is developed for the retrieval of non-spherical dust aerosol over land using multi-angular radiance and polarized measurements of the POLDER (POLarization and Directionality of the Earth?s Reflectances) and wide spectral high-resolution measurements of the MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer). As the first step to account for the non-sphericity of irregularly shaped dust aerosols in the light scattering problem, the spheroidal model is introduced. To solve the basic electromagnetic wave scattering problem by a single spheroid, we developed an algorithm, by transforming the transcendental infinite-continued-fraction-formeigen equation into a symmetric tri-diagonal linear system, for the calculation of the spheroidal angle function, radial functions of the first and second kind, as well as the corresponding first order derivatives. A database is developed subsequently to calculate the bulk scattering properties of dust aerosols for each channel of the satellite instruments. For the purpose of simulation of satellite observations, a code is developed to solve the VRTE (Vector Radiative Transfer Equation) for the coupled atmosphere-surface system using the adding-doubling technique. An alternative fast algorithm, where all the solid angle integrals are converted to summations on an icosahedral grid, is also proposed to speed-up the code. To make the model applicable to various land and ocean surfaces, a surface BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) library is embedded into the code. Considering the complimentary features of the MODIS and the POLDER, the collocated measurements of these two satellites are used in the retrieval process. To reduce the time spent on the simulation of dust aerosol scattering properties, a single-scattering property database of tri-axial ellipsoid is incorporated. In addition, atmospheric molecule correction is considered using the LBLRTM (Line-By-Line Ra- diative Transfer Model). The Levenberg-Marquardt method was employed to retrieve all the interested dust aerosol parameters and surface parameters simultaneously. As an example, dust aerosol properties retrieved over the Sahara Desert are presented.Item Study of Ice Cloud Properties from Synergetic Use of Satellite Observations and Modeling Capabilities(2011-02-22) Xie, YuThe dissertation first investigates the single-scattering properties of inhomogeneous ice crystals containing air bubbles. Specifically, a combination of the ray-tracing technique and the Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the scattering of light by randomly oriented large hexagonal ice crystals containing spherical or spheroidal air bubbles. The effect of the air bubbles within ice crystals is to smooth the phase functions, diminish the 22? and 46? halo peaks, and reduce the backscatter in comparison with the case of bubble-free ice crystals. Cloud reflectance look-up tables were generated at the wavelengths of 0.65 ?m and 2.13 ?m to examine the impact of accounting for air bubbles in ice crystal morphology on the retrieval of ice cloud optical thickness and effective particle size. To investigate the effect of the representation of aggregates on electromagnetic scattering calculations, an algorithm is developed to efficiently specify the geometries of aggregates and to compute some of their geometric parameters such as the projected area. Based on in situ observations, aggregates are defined as clusters of hexagonal plates with a chain-like overall shape. An aggregate model is developed with 10 ensemble members, each consisting of between 4-12 hexagonal plates. The scattering properties of an individual aggregate ice particle are computed using the discrete dipole approximation or an Improved Geometric Optics Method, depending upon the size parameter. The aggregate model provides an accurate and computationally efficient way to represent all aggregates occurring within ice clouds. We developed an algorithm to determine an appropriate ice cloud model for application to satellite-based retrieval of ice cloud properties. Collocated Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) data are used to retrieve the optical thicknesses of ice clouds as a function of scattering angle in the nine MISR viewing directions. The difference between cloud optical thickness and its averaged value over the nine viewing angles can be used to validate the ice cloud models. Using the data obtained on 2 July 2009, an appropriate ice cloud model is determined. With the presence of all the uncertainties in the current operational satellite-based retrievals of ice cloud properties, this ice cloud model has excellent performance in terms of consistency in cloud property retrievals with the nine MISR viewing angles.