Abstract

This paper presents a new theoretical approach to the modeling of light scattering by dielectric particles. The new theory is statistical and thermodynamic in its approach, rather than electromagnetic. Constrained maximization of entropy is used to predict the directionality and polarization of scattered light. The results are in a discretized form directly usable in computerized radiative-transfer simulations, thus circumventing the usual generation of the phase function with a Mie code followed by integration over solid angles as required. A considerable saving of computer time is thereby possible.

© 1979 Optical Society of America

Statistical inference of particle populations from scattered light

W. L. Anderson and S. Y. Shen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(12) 1684-1690 (1979)

Scattering of an electromagnetic wave from dielectric bodies of irregular shape

B. W. Fowler and C. C. Sung
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(5) 756-761 (1979)

Light scattering by a pair of conjugate nonspherical particles

Petr Chýlek, J. T. Kiehl, and A. Mugnai
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(11) 1550-1553 (1979)

Multiple Light Scattering by Spherical Dielectric Particles*

David H. Woodward
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 54(11) 1325-1331 (1964)

Polarization and scattering characteristics in the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Jupiter

David L. Coffeen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(8) 1051-1064 (1979)