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Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

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Bidirectional reflectance distribution function of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite solar-shield material.

J E Hubbs¹, L D Brooks, M J Nofziger

¹University of Arizona, Optical Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.

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Summary

Researchers measured Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) values for a gold sample at 10.6 and 118 micrometers. Vertical striations consistently yielded higher BRDF values across both wavelengths, indicating anisotropic reflective properties.

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Biomolecular Detection employing the Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS)

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Published on: May 3, 2011

Area of Science:

Optics
Materials Science
Surface Physics

Background:

Understanding the optical properties of materials is crucial for applications in sensing and imaging.
The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) quantifies how light reflects off a surface, providing insights into its texture and material composition.
Striated surfaces can exhibit anisotropic reflective behavior, meaning their optical properties depend on the direction of illumination and observation.

Purpose of the Study:

To measure and analyze the BRDF of a specially prepared striated gold sample at two different infrared wavelengths.
To investigate the influence of surface striation orientation on the measured BRDF values.
To compare the reflective properties of the gold sample at 10.6 micrometers and 118 micrometers.

Main Methods:

Measurement of BRDF values for a striated gold sample using a goniometer setup.
Experiments conducted using infrared radiation at wavelengths of 10.6 micrometers and 118 micrometers.
Analysis of BRDF data for both horizontal and vertical orientations of the surface striations.

Main Results:

For 118-micrometer radiation, BRDF values decreased from 0.1 to 1 for both orientations, with vertical striations consistently yielding higher values.
At 10.6 micrometers, the horizontal orientation showed BRDF values starting around 10^-2 and decreasing to approximately 5 x 10^-4.
The vertical orientation at 10.6 micrometers generated significantly higher BRDF curves compared to the horizontal orientation.

Conclusions:

The striated gold sample exhibits anisotropic reflective properties, strongly dependent on the orientation of the surface striations.
The BRDF behavior differs significantly between the 10.6-micrometer and 118-micrometer wavelengths.
Vertical striations enhance light reflection compared to horizontal striations for this specific gold sample at the measured wavelengths.