The Probabalistic Method for Problems of Radiative Transfer: The Markov Property of Radiative Transfer and of Neutron Diffusion

Abstract

On the basis of the stochastic model of multiple scattering of photons, we consider the diffuse reflection and transmission of a parallel beam of radiation by a finite, plane-parallel, nonemitting and homogeneous atmosphere with conservative and isotropic scattering. We assume that the stochastic process under consideration represents a homogeneous stationary evolution in a Markovian manner with respect to the optical depth. First we derive the forward and the backward integro-differential equations for the emission probability distributions from the Chapman-Kolmogoroff equations. Then, starting with the Laplace transform of these equations, we obtain the S- and T- functions of S. Chandrasekhar for monodirectional illumination of the upper and the lower boundaries, depending on the optical depths tau sub zero and tau sub one (0 is less than or equals tau sub zero < tau sub one). The results obtained with the aid of the forward equations reduce to those derived from the backward equations, because of the homogeneous optical properties of the medium. Some new functional equations for the source functions of the auxiliary equations are given.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0278466

Entities

People

  • Sueo Ueno

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • California
  • Differential Equations
  • Diffuse Reflection
  • Diffusion
  • Equations
  • Optical Properties
  • Partial Differential Equations
  • Probability
  • Probability Distributions
  • Radiation
  • Radiative Transfer
  • Scattering
  • Stochastic Processes

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics
  • Physics

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Spectroscopy.