Multiple scattering and the shape of the sky including molecules and aerosol particles (spherical and non spherical)

Ariel Cohen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

Solar light scattering from atmospheric layers is perceived by an observer as the background sky. The shape of this background is built in the observer s eyes by the visibility distances in all slant directions. In an average day the atmosphere has a turbidity value in the vicinity of 2 implying that the average contribution to the scattered light by the air molecules is approximately equal to the scattering by the spherical and non spherical particles in the atmosphere. Since the atmospheric air density and the particulate number density in the horizontal direction are both assumed to be constant whereas their values decreases in a slant direction, the resulting varying visibility distances in the various directions are shown to form a flat sky shape. The multiple scattering calculations are based on scattering functions for spherical and non-spherical particles. The basic approach which is used to handle the scattering of non-spherical particles, is discussed in part II of this presentation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)50-57
Number of pages8
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume5059
DOIs
StatePublished - 3 Apr 2003
Event12th International Workshop on Lidar Multiple Scattering Experiments 2002 - Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Duration: 10 Sep 200212 Sep 2002

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2003 SPIE. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Light scattering
  • Moon illusion
  • Multiple scattering
  • Scattering by non-spherical particles
  • The sky

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