Atmospheric weighting functions and surface partial derivatives for remote sensing of scattering planetary atmospheres in thermal spectral region: general adjoint approach

An approach to formulation of inversion algorithms for remote sensing in the thermal spectral region in the case of a scattering planetary atmosphere, based on the adjoint equation of radiative transfer (Ustinov (JQSRT 68 (2001) 195; JQSRT 73 (2002) 29); referred to as Papers 1 and 2, respectively, in the main text), is applied to the general case of retrievals of atmospheric and surface parameters for the scattering atmosphere with nadir viewing geometry. Analytic expressions for corresponding weighting functions for atmospheric parameters and partial derivatives for surface parameters are derived. The case of pure atmospheric absorption with a scattering underlying surface is considered and convergence to results obtained for the non-scattering atmospheres (Ustinov (JQSRT 74 (2002) 683), referred to as Paper 3 in the main text) is demonstrated.     

Adjoint sensitivity analysis of radiative transfer equation: 2. Applications to retrievals of temperature in scattering atmospheres in thermal IR

An approach to formulation of inversion algorithms for thermal sounding in the case of scattering atmosphere based on the adjoint equation of radiative transfer (Ustinov, JQSRT 68 (2001) 195, referred to as Paper 1 in the main text) is applied to temperature retrievals in the scattering atmosphere for the nadir viewing geometry. Analytical expressions for the weighting functions involving the integration of the source function are derived. Temperature weighting functions for a simple model of the atmosphere with scattering are evaluated and convergence to the case of pure atmospheric absorption is demonstrated. The numerical experiments on temperature retrievals are carried out to demonstrate the validity of the expressions obtained.     

Relationship between different approaches to derive weighting functions related to atmospheric remote sensing problems

The paper is devoted to the investigation of the relationship between different methods used to derive weighting functions required to solve numerous inverse problems related to the remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere by means of scattered solar light observations. The first method commonly referred to as the forward-adjoint approach is based on a joint solution of the forward and adjoint radiative transfer equations and the second one requires the linearized forward radiative transfer equation to be solved. In the framework of the forward-adjoint method we consider two approaches commonly used to derive the weighting functions. These approaches are referenced as the “response function” and the “formal solution” techniques, respectively. We demonstrate here that the weighting functions derived employing the formal solution technique can also be obtained substituting the analytical representations for the direct forward and direct adjoint intensities into corresponding expressions obtained in the framework of the response function technique. The advantages and disadvantages of different techniques are discussed.     

地表双向反射对天基矢量辐射探测的影响分析

矢量辐射传输方程定量描述了辐射在地表-大气耦合介质中的传输过程,是定量遥感的基础.在处理辐射和离散介质相互作用时,如何处理多次散射、辐射偏振效应和耦合地表模型是研究的重点,直接影响定量化遥感反演的精度.文中基于逐次散射近似法求解了矢量辐射传输方程,求解过程中耦合典型地表的非偏双向反射（BRDF）模型和偏振双面反射（BPDF）模型.采用相对误差因子定量分析了地表双向反射效应和大气偏振效应对天基矢量辐射的影响.为进一步研究地表-大气耦合介质系统的偏振特性及地表大气参数的定量遥感反演提供理论支持. 关键词： 矢量辐射传输方程 逐次散射近似 定量遥感 偏振遥感     

Radiation transport and internal reflection in a sphere

We construct an integral equation for the flux intensity in a scattering and absorbing medium using the integro-differential form of the radiative transfer equation in a sphere. The sphere is uniformly irradiated by an external source of arbitrary angular distribution. The Fresnel boundary conditions, which incorporate reflection and refraction, are used. For the special cases of a non-scattering medium, and in the limit of an optically transparent medium, we obtain exact solutions for specular and diffuse refection. Some numerical examples are given which give qualitative agreement with some recent work of Tian and Chiu (JQSRT, 2005).     

Adjoint problem of radiative transfer for a pseudo-spherical atmosphere and general viewing geometries

We formulate the adjoint radiative transfer for a pseudo-spherical atmosphere and various retrieval scenarios. The single scattering radiance is computed in a spherical atmosphere by using the source integration technique, while for the multiple scattering radiance we formulate an one-dimensional adjoint radiative transfer equation in a plane-parallel atmosphere. The adjoint solution of the radiative transfer equation is obtained by employing the discrete ordinate method with matrix exponential. We provide an abbreviated derivation of our formalism as well as a discussion of the numerical implementation of the theory.     

Passive remote sensing of planetary atmospheres and retrievals of atmospheric macro- and microphysical parameters

In two recent papers, referred to as Paper 1 and Paper 2 in the main text, we have pursued an idea that atmospheric weighting functions for any geophysical parameters essentially consist of two kinds of entities: weighting functions for the atmospheric radiative parameters, which directly enter the radiative transfer equation, and partial derivatives of the atmospheric radiative parameters with respect to atmospheric geophysical parameters. Corresponding analysis was performed for non-scattering and scattering planetary atmospheres for nadir-viewing geometry and thermal spectral region. In the present paper we conduct a study of the second group of above entities, the partial derivatives of atmospheric radiative parameters with respect to atmospheric geophysical parameters. Along the way, we analyze the role of radiative parameters of individual atmospheric constituents, which serve as intermediaries between the total radiative parameters of the atmosphere and its geophysical parameters. The obtained expressions, combined with radiative weighting functions, are used in the end-to-end expressions for the weighting functions obtained for various specific geophysical parameters.     

On the accuracy of double scattering approximation for atmospheric polarization computations

Interpretation of multi-angle spectro-polarimetric data in remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols requires fast and accurate methods of solving the vector radiative transfer equation (VRTE). The single and double scattering approximations could provide an analytical framework for the inversion algorithms and are relatively fast; however accuracy assessments of these approximations for the aerosol atmospheres in the atmospheric window channels have been missing. This paper provides such analysis for a vertically homogeneous aerosol atmosphere with weak and strong asymmetry of scattering. In both cases, the double scattering approximation gives a high accuracy result (relative error ～0.2%) only for the low optical path ～10^?2. As the error rapidly grows with optical thickness, a full VRTE solution is required for the practical remote sensing analysis. It is shown that the scattering anisotropy is not important at low optical thicknesses neither for reflected nor for transmitted polarization components of radiation.     

Numerical developments for short-pulsed Near Infra-Red laser spectroscopy. Part II: inverse treatment

Indirect optical spectroscopy or tomography, that is, mapping of optical properties in scattering and absorption inside a medium given a set of measurements at the boundaries, is highly dependent on the radiative transfer model used to track radiative energy propagation in semi-transparent materials. In the first part of this study, a numerical tool adapted for treating radiative transfer in the frame of short-pulsed laser beam interaction with non-homogeneous matter has been presented. In this paper, it is intended to show how such numerical tools can undergo inversion through adjoint treatment or reverse differentiation.Adjoint models, as well as reverse differentiation, are used in order to allow an efficient computation of the gradient, in the unknown optical parameters space, of an objective or cost function estimating the residual between data obtained at the boundary and predictions by numerical simulations. This gradient is a crucial indication as to update, through line minimization, the set of internal optical properties of the medium.First, the theoretical background of the inverse treatments, both reverse differentiation and adjoint model, for the transient radiative transfer equation model introduced in Part I is developed. Second, different reconstruction configurations are presented. Time-dependent sampling and time filtering effects of the measurements are addressed. Image reconstructions from simulated data are achieved for material phantoms of simple geometry.     

Radiative transfer with internal reflection via the converged discrete ordinates method

In response to the challenge of establishing highly accurate solutions to the plane layer radiative transfer equation with the simplest of methods, the converged discrete ordinates method is presented. With this algorithm of only finite difference, quadrature and acceleration, we show how to obtain highly accurate intensities for radiative transfer in a finite layer with internal surface reflection. The method features angular smoothing and angular interpolation through “faux” quadrature. In addition, a manufactured solution demonstrates the high accuracy of the method for forward peaked scattering. We consider scattering in a heterogeneous medium as a final demonstration.     

海洋水色及水温扫描仪精确瑞利散射计算

瑞利散射计算精度对海洋水色遥感大气校正的精度起着关键作用,为了提高瑞利散射的计算精度,需要求解平行分层大气矢量辐射传输方程。详细地推导了加倍法解大气矢量辐射传输方程的基本关系式,并阐述了利用加倍法解矢量辐射传输方程的原理。通过与海视宽视场遥感器(SeaWiFS)精确瑞利散射查找表计算结果的比较,证明利用加倍法计算瑞利散射的精度优于0．5％,完全能够满足海洋水色遥感大气校正对瑞利散射计算精度的要求,并可以用来生成海洋水色及水温扫描仪精确瑞利散射查找表。最后,利用开发的加倍法解矢量辐射传输方程软件包,生成了海洋水色及水温扫描仪的精确瑞利散射查找表。开发的加倍法解矢量辐射传输方程软件包可直接用于我国第二代高性能海洋水色遥感器精确瑞利散射查找表的生成。     

Direct solution of the radiative transfer equation for plane-parallel atmospheres

A method is described for solving the monochromatic radiative transfer equation for the case of inhomogeneous, plane-parallel scattering and absorbing atmospheres illuminated by external as well as internal sources. The solution procedure, which is based on a series expansion of the radiation intensity with respect to the angular and spatial coordinates, is analytical in nature and can thus be implemented on small computing facilites. Test calculations were performed for isotropic and Rayleigh scattering atmospheres of various optical thicknesses and single scattering albedos. The results coincide well with data from other methods given in the literature.     

The scattering of radiation from a surface comprised of randomly distributed plates of differing reflective properties

Using the equation of radiative transfer, we have studied the reflection and re-emergence of radiation from a statistically rough surface comprised of randomly distributed plates of differing reflectivities. The albedo and emergent angular distribution are obtained and compared with some approximate deterministic results; significant differences are noted. An estimate of the variance in the albedo is also given. The radiative transfer equation is solved using a two-dimensional stochastic ansatz of the same functional form as the random reflection coefficient. Applications to ice floes, tree canopies, the remote sensing of a forest of leaves and to the paint industry are noted.     

Theorems on symmetries and flux conservation in radiative transfer using the matrix operator theory

The matrix operator approach to radiative transfer is shown to be a very powerful technique in establishing symmetry relations for multiple scattering in inhomogeneous atmospheres. Symmetries are derived for the reflection and transmission operators using only the symmetry of the phase function. These results will mean large savings in computer time and storage for performing calculations for realistic planetary atmospheres using this method. The results have also been extended to establish a condition on the reflection matrix of a boundary in order to preserve reciprocity. Finally energy conservation is rigorously proven for conservative scattering in inhomogeneous atmospheres.     

Simultaneous derivation of intensities and weighting functions in a general pseudo-spherical discrete ordinate radiative transfer treatment

The retrieval of atmospheric constituents from measurements of backscattered light requires a radiative transfer forward model that can simulate both intensities and weighting functions (partial derivatives of intensity with respect to atmospheric parameters being retrieved). The radiative transfer equation is solved in a multi-layer multiply-scattering atmosphere using the discrete ordinate method. In an earlier paper dealing with the upwelling top-of-the-atmosphere radiation field, it was shown that a full internal perturbation analysis of the plane-parallel discrete ordinate solution leads in a natural way to the simultaneous generation of analytically-derived weighting functions with respect to a wide range of atmospheric variables. In the present paper, a more direct approach is used to evaluate explicitly all partial derivatives of the intensity field. A generalization of the post-processing function is developed for the derivation of weighting functions at arbitrary optical depth and stream angles for both upwelling and downwelling directions. Further, a complete treatment is given for the pseudo-spherical approximation of the direct beam attenuation; this is an important extension to the range of viewing geometries encountered in practical radiative transfer applications. The numerical model LIDORT developed for this work is able to generate intensities and weighting functions for a wide range of retrieval scenarios, in addition to the passive remote sensing application from space. We present a number of examples in an atmosphere with O₃ absorption in the UV, for satellite (upwelling radiation) and ground-based (downwelling radiation) applications. In particular, we examine the effect of various pseudo-spherical parameterizations on backscatter intensities and weighting functions with respect to O₃ volume mixing ratio. In addition, the use of layer-integrated multiple scatter output from the model is shown to be important for satellite instruments with wide-angle off-nadir viewing geometries.     

Multi-coupled single scattering method of solving vector radiative transfer equations

<正>A new method of multi-coupled single scattering(MCSS) for solving a vector radiative transfer equation is developed and made public on Internet.Recent solutions from Chandrasekhar’s X-Y method is used to validate the MCSS’s result,which shows high precision.The MCSS method is theoretically simple and clear,so it can be easily and credibly extended to the simulation of aerosol/cloud atmosphere’s radiative properties,which provides effective support for research into polarized remote sensing.     

Verification of numerical simulation method for entropy generation of radiation heat transfer in semitransparent medium

The numerical simulation method of radiative entropy generation in participating media presented by Caldas and Semiao [Entropy generation through radiative transfer in participating media: analysis and numerical computation. JQSRT 2005;96:423-37] is extended to analyze the radiative entropy generation in the enclosures filled with semitransparent media. A discrete ordinates method is used to solve radiative transfer equation and radiative entropy generation. Two different examples are employed to verify the numerical simulation method of radiative entropy generation in the enclosure. Numerical results of dimensionless radiative entropy generation of enclosure are identical to that of entire thermodynamics analysis for the enclosure system. This numerical simulation method can be used in the entropy generation analysis of high-temperature systems such as boilers and furnaces, in which radiation is the dominant mode of heat transfer.     

Propagation of a light beam in an absorbing medium with large-scale inhomogeneities

A method of solving the radiative transfer equation is proposed; it enables one to take into account the influence of absorption on the angular and spatial distributions of radiation under conditions of sharply anisotropic multiple scattering. For phase functions that decrease with an increase in the scattering angle by the power law, the total flux attenuation and profiles of the angular and spatial distributions in a strongly absorbing medium are studied. The obtained analytical dependences exhibit a good agreement with results of numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation.     

On vector radiative transfer equation in curvilinear coordinate systems

The differential operator of polarized radiative transfer equation is examined in case of homogeneous medium in Euclidean three-dimensional space with arbitrary curvilinear coordinate system defined in it. This study shows that an apparent rotation of polarization plane along the light ray with respect to the chosen reference plane for Stokes parameters generally takes place, due to purely geometric reasons. Analytic expressions for the differential operator of transfer equation dependent on the components of metric tensor and their derivatives are found, and the derivation of differential operator of polarized radiative transfer equation has been made a standard procedure. Considerable simplifications take place if the coordinate system is orthogonal.