A NUMERICAL METHOD FOR SOLVING THE EQUATION OF TRANSFER.
Abstract
A method is presented for numerically computing solutions to the equation of radiative transfer for plane parallel atmospheres. As part of the computational scheme, the intensity distribution is computed within the atmosphere, thus providing vertical, directionally dependent, intensity profiles as well as the intensity of radiation emerging from either boundary of the atmosphere. Since the present effort is one mainly of testing the feasibility of the scheme, the case of conservative molecular scattering was chosen, so that the results could be compared with existing tabulations. Agreement is good for optically thin atmospheres, the error increasing as the optical thickness increases. This is attributable to the fact that: (1) Polarization effects are neglected in the present scheme. (2) Accuracy is diminished due to larger altitude increments for the larger optical thicknesses. The comparisons of the computations with the exact solutions are given, as well as some results of in-atmosphere intensity calculations. Convergence seems assured for total normal optical thicknesses < or = .50. Judgment for thicker atmospheres must await an expanded program which allows for more vertical subdivisions. In conclusion, the method seems feasible, and the hope is that modifications of the method may be used for more general laws of scattering, inclusion of absorption effects, and so forth.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0652089
Entities
People
- E. L. Gray
Organizations
- General Electric