Radiance backscattered by a strongly scattering medium in the high spatial frequency limit

Abstract

We study the radiative transfer of a spatially modulated plane wave incident on a half-space composed of a uniformly scattering and absorbing medium. For spatial frequencies that are large compared to the scattering coefficient, we find that first-order scattering governs the leading behavior of the radiance backscattered by the medium. The first-order scattering approximation reveals a specific curve on the backscattered hemisphere where the radiance is concentrated. Along this curve, the radiance assumes a particularly simple expression that is directly proportional to the phase function. These results are inherent to the radiative transfer equation at large spatial frequency and do not have a strong dependence on any particular optical property. Consequently, these results provide the means by which spatial frequency domain imaging technologies can directly measure the phase function of a sample. Numerical simulations using the discrete ordinate method along with the source integration interpolation method validate these theoretical findings.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jun 13, 2022
Source ID
10.1364/josaa.462683

Entities

People

  • Arnold D. Kim
  • Boaz Ilan
  • Vasan Venugopalan

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • National Science Foundation
  • University of California
  • University of California, Irvine

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Space