Vector radiative transfer equation for arbitrarily shaped and arbitrarily oriented particles: a microphysical...

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics
• Optics
• Statistical Physics

Background:

• Understanding light scattering in random media is crucial for various applications.
• Existing models often simplify particle shape, orientation, and scattering complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive a general radiative transfer equation (RTE) for polarized light.
• To describe multiple scattering by sparse, discrete, random media with complex particles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized statistical electromagnetics and volume integral equations.
• Applied Lippmann-Schwinger, Foldy-Lax, and Twersky approximations.
• Derived the vector RTE for the coherent and diffuse fields in the infinite particle limit.

Main Results:

• A general vector radiative transfer equation (RTE) is derived.
• The RTE accounts for multiple scattering of polarized light.
• The derivation considers arbitrarily shaped and oriented particles in random media.

Conclusions:

• The derived vector RTE provides a comprehensive framework for polarized light scattering.
• The study clarifies the physical meaning of terms within the RTE.
• Assumptions made during the derivation are discussed.