Numerical Simulation of Polarized Light and Temperature with a Refractive Interface

TL;DR

This paper introduces a numerical algorithm for simulating polarized light and temperature in stratified media with refractive index discontinuities, accounting for absorption and scattering effects like those in Earth's atmosphere.

Contribution

It presents a new iterative numerical method for solving VRRTE with discontinuous refractive indices and demonstrates its effectiveness through atmospheric simulations.

Findings

Algorithm is monotone and convergent

Successfully models effects of CO2 absorption

Handles complex scattering and absorption scenarios

Abstract

In this article we propose a numerical algorithm to compute the intensity and polarization of a polychromatic electromagnetic radiation crossing a medium with graded refractive index and modeled by the Vector Radiative Refractive Transfer Equations (VRRTE). Special attention is given to the case where the refractive index has a discontinuity for which the Fresnel conditions are necessary. We assume that the only spatial variable of interest is the altitude (stratified medium). An algorithm based on iterations of the sources is shown to be monotone and convergent. Numerical examples are given with highly varying absorption coefficient kappa and Rayleigh scattering as in the Earth atmosphere. To study the effect of CO2 in the atmosphere kappa is changed in the frequency ranges where CO2 is absorbing.