How much is enough? The convergence of finite sample scattering properties to those of infinite media
Antti Penttilä, Johannes Markkanen, Timo Väisänen, Jukka Räbinä, Maxim A. Yurkin, K. Muinonen
Abstract
We study the scattering properties of a cloud of particles. The particles are spherical, close to the incident wavelength in size, have a high albedo, and are randomly packed to 20% volume density. We show, using both numerically exact methods for solving the Maxwell equations and radiative-transfer-approximation methods, that the scattering properties of the cloud converge after about ten million particles in the system. After that, the backward-scattered properties of the system should estimate the properties of a macroscopic, practically infinite system.
Topics & Concepts
Radiative transferScatteringAlbedo (alchemy)PhysicsConvergence (economics)Computational physicsWavelengthSingle-scattering albedoOpticsEconomic growthPerformance artArt historyEconomicsArtAtmospheric aerosols and cloudsSoil Geostatistics and MappingAeolian processes and effects