OPTI 656A/656B

5/03

OPTI 656A/656B. Atmospheric Radiation and Remote Sensing (3) Identical with Atmo 656A/656B. Theory of atmospheric radiative transfer processes; specific methods for solving the relevant equations; applications to problems in radiative transfer; theoretical basis for remote sensing from the ground and from space; solutions to the "inverse" problem. P, Math 254.

Course Description

The class will cover basic definitions, basic laws of radiation, and the general nature of solar and terrestrial radiation.   Then the equation of radiative transfer will be developed, and solutionis derived for the simplest case of no internal sources, to the next case for internal emission sources, and finally to scattering atmospheres.  Various methods of solution will be employed.   Derivations of the laws for Rayleight and Mie scattering will be presented, absorption line shapes will be derived, and complete matrices for polarization will be derived. Applicants to various topics of interest will be presented.  In the second semester, after the above topics have been covered, basic equations for atmospheric remote sensing from space will be derived and numerous techniques will be discussed. 

Course Outline 

I.  Basic definitions

     a. Radiant Energy

     b. Intensity

     c. Flux

     d. Absoprtion Coeff.

     e. Coeff. of emissivity

     f. Scattering and attenuation coeff.

II. Basic Laws of Radiation

     a. Kirchoff's law

     b. Rayleigh-Jeans Law

     c. Planck's Law

            1.  Laws derived from Planck's Law

III. General Nature of Solar and Terrestrial Radiation

     a. Solar Radiation

     b. Terrestrial Radiation

     c. Absorbing, emitting, and scattering properties of earth-atmosphere system

IV. Equation of Transfer

    a. General equation of transfer for absorbing, emitting and scattering
        atmospheres

    b. Beer's Law for attenuating atmosphere only

          1. Methods of determining solar constant from Beer's Law

     c. Transfer equation for absorbing and emitting atmosphere

         1.   Methods of solution and determination of radiational cooling

           a.   Elasser Method

           b.  Robinson's Method

           c.  Brook's Method

           d. Experimental determinations

     d. Transfer equation for absorbing and scattering atmospheres

       1. Methods of solution

            a. Two-Stream Theory

            b. Single-Scatter Only

            c. Multiple Scatter

                1.  Isotropic Scattering

                2.  Rayleigh Scattering

                3.  Brightness and Color of Sky

V. Polarization of skylight

      a. Polarization from Rayleigh scatter

         1. Single scatter

         2. Multiple scatter-Rayleigh and Mie

VI. Remote Sensing

VII. Additional topics depending upon time

      a. Atmospheric Visibility

      b. Atmospheric Optics

      c. Atmospheric Mie Scatter

      d. Stratospheric Radiation

      e. Ozone Cooling

      f. Inversion

Grading

• There will be 2 quizzes each semester and a final exam.  Each quiz will count 25%, the homework will count 10%, and the final will count 40% toward the term grade. 

Recommended Textbooks

Textbooks will be available on reserve in the PAS library.  In addition, a useful book would be "Radiative Transfer" by Chandrasekhar, a Dover paperback.