INVESTIGATIONS OF THE POLARIZATION OF THE SUNLIT SKY.

Abstract

Theoretical studies of the features of skylight polarization based on the solution of the radiative transfer problem in a plane-parallel molecular atmosphere are briefly reviewed. The results of a series of systematic measurements of skylight polarization are presented and discussed. The measurements were made at Los Angeles during Spring 1963. A photoelectric skylight polarimeter employing ac light modulation has been employed in these measurements which were confined to three spectral intervals (bandwidth approx. 150 A) centered around 4000, 5100 and 6000 A. An attempt has been made to account for the departure of the location and dispersion of the neutral points and the polarization maxima from the computed values for a purely molecular atmosphere in terms of the local turbidity. The effect of the variable reflectivity of the ground on the magnitudes of polarization maxima has been studied. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1965
Accession Number
AD0622526

Entities

People

  • C. R. Nagaraja Rao
  • George C. Holzworth

Organizations

  • University of California, Los Angeles

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheres
  • Bandwidth
  • Dispersions
  • Intervals
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Modulation
  • Polarimeters
  • Polarization
  • Radiative Transfer
  • Reflectivity
  • Turbidity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.