Analytical Methods in Atmospheric Radiative Transfer: (Wiley Series in Atmospheric Physics and Remote Sensing)

Provides in-depth knowledge of the physics of radiative transfer In Analytical Methods in Atmospheric Radiative Transfer, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a comprehensive exploration of solutions to practical problems of modern atmospheric physics related to solar light interaction with the terrestrial atmosphere and the remote sensing of clouds, aerosols, and gases. The authors describe newly developed analytics methods in radiative transfer that help explain atmospheric phenomena. The book includes detailed discussions of general error analyses and sensitivity tests, as well as the relationship between modern atmospheric physics and the interaction of solar light with the atmosphere. Readers will also benefit from thorough reviews of various analytical radiative transfer techniques, media with phase functions extended in the forward direction, and semi-infinite, non-absorbing, weakly absorbing, and strongly absorbing light scattering media. Analytical Methods in Atmospheric Radiative Transfer also includes: A thorough introduction to exact solutions of the radiative transfer equation, including situations of no scattering, as well as isotropic and Rayleigh scattering A comprehensive exploration of approximate solutions for scalar radiative transfer, including single and multiple scattering separation and semi-infinite media Practical discussions of approximate solutions for polarized radiative transfer, including optically thick media and the method of discrete ordinates In-depth examinations of the applications of analytical methods in atmospheric radiative transfer, including aerosol remote sensing, cloud remote sensing, and the remote sensing of trace gases Perfect for meteorologists, climatologists and graduate students studying physics, Analytical Methods in Atmospheric Radiative Transfer is also an indispensable resource for geophysicists seeking a practical exploration of modern atmospheric physics.

Table of Contents:
Table of contents 1.Introduction 1.1 Main definitions 1.2 Scalar radiative transfer equation 1.3 Vector radiative transfer equation 1.4 Tensor radiative transfer equation 1.5 3-D radiative transfer equation 1.6 Radiative transfer and narrow light beams 1.7 Time-dependent radiative transfer equation 1.8 Heritage and history of earlier work 2. Exact solutions of radiative transfer equation 2.1 No scattering 2.2 Isotropic scattering 2.3 Rayleigh scattering 2.4 Henyey-Greenstein phase function 3. Approximate solutions for scalar radiative transfer 3.1 Single and multiple scattering separation 3.2 Double and higher orders of scattering 3.3 Semi-infinite media 3.4 Asymptotic radiative transfer 3.4.1 Rayleigh scattering 3.4.2 Clouds 3.5 Method of discrete ordinates and low stream interpolation 3.5.1 Two-stream approximation 3.5.2 Four-stream approximation 3.6 Small-angle approximation 3.7 Quasi-single scattering approximation 3.8 Method of spherical harmonics 3.9 Diffusion approximation 3.10 Radiative transfer in gaseous absorption bands 3.10.1 k-distribution and correlated-k methods 3.10.2 ESFT method 3.10.3 Spectral mapping 3.10.4 Optimal spectral sampling 3.10.5 Principal component analysis 3.11 Neural networks 3.12 3-D radiative transfer 3.13 Narrow beams 3.14 Time-dependent problems 3.15 Radiative transfer with account for effects of fluorescence 3.16 Raman scattering and filling in molecular absorption bands 4. Approximate solutions for polarized radiative transfer 4.1 Single and double scattering 4.2 Semi-infinite media 4.3 Optically thick media 4.4 Method of discrete ordinates 4.4.1 Four-stream approximation 4.5 Small-angle approximation 4.6 Tensor radiative transfer 5. Applications 5.1 Aerosol remote sensing 5.2 Cloud remote sensing 5.3 Remote sensing of trace gases 5.4 Surface remote sensing 5.4.1 Ocean 5.4.2 Land 5.5 Lidar remote sensing

About the Author :
Alexander Kokhanovsky is Leader of the Cloud Remote Sensing Group at the Institute of Environmental Physics and Remote Sensing of the University of Bremen. He has authored over 150 scientific publications and is the author or editor of four books. Vijay Natraj, PhD, is a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (JPL). His research focuses on polarization, aerosol and cloud modeling, fast radiative transfer computations, and information theoretical analysis. Dmitry Efremenko, PhD, is scientist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). His research is focused on remote sensing of atmospheric processes.