Light scattering media optics is a branch of optical physics, which is devoted to studies of light propagation in various inhomogeneous media, including atmosphere and ocean, where the phenomenon of light scattering plays an important role. The theoretical basis of this field of physics was formulated by V. A. Ambartsumian (Scientific Papers, Erevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1960), S. Chandrasekhar (Radiative Transfer, N. Y.: Dover, 1961), V. V. Sobolev (A Treatise on Radiative Transfer, Toronto: Van Nostrand, 1963), K. S. Shifrin (Scattering of Light in Turbid Media, NASA Tech. Trans. TT F-447,1968, Washington:NASA) and H. C. van de Hulst (Light Scattering by Small Particles, N. Y.: Dover, 1981). One of main problems of the light scattering media optics is the determination of light reflection and transmission by different turbid media, depending on their dimensions and also on the shape, size, structure and chemical composition of particles(e.g., water droplets or ice crystals in clouds, phytoplankton in ocean).

Generally speaking, the problem of light propagation in a turbid medium is solved in three steps. The first step involves the calculation of light interaction parameters for a single scattering event (e.g., absorption, extinction and differential scattering cross sections for a single spherical or nonspherical particle). On the second step, the parameters of the elementary scattering volume are determined(e.g., photon free path length in the medium, probability of photon absorption and probability of photon scattering in a fixed direction). The final step is to use local optical characteristics obtained as an input to the integro - differential radiative transfer equation, which can be solved, using various numerical and analytical techniques.

This webpage is devoted to various aspects of light scattering media optics, including both theory and applications.

Address for correspondence:

  • Dr. Alexander A. Kokhanovsky
    • University of Bremen
    Otto Hahn Allee 1, D-28234 Bremen, Germany
    Phone: 00 - 49 - (0) - 421 - 218 - 2915
    Fax: 00 - 49 - (0) - 421 - 218 - 4555
    E-mail: alexk@iup.physik.uni-bremen.de