Development of Community Light Scattering Computational Capabilities

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This study seeks to develop theoretical and computational methods to improve simulations of optical properties of non-spherical particles over a broad range of size parameters. Applications of the theoretical/computational work span many broad areas of physics, chemistry, and engineering; with specific importance in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, combustion science, astrophysics, bio-optics, manufacturing diagnostics and control, and many other fields. This study will train graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. After testing and optimization, this research group plans to release the computational programs as open-source codes to the research community. This study seeks to expand previous NSF-funded research to develop advanced capabilities based on the invariant imbedding T-matrix method (II-TM) for simulating the optical properties of non-spherical, inhomogeneous particles with small to moderate size parameters. This study seeks to further improve the II-TM from both theoretical and numerical perspectives. This group recently developed a preliminary version of a physical geometric optics model (PGOM) based on either an electromagnetic volume- or a surface-integral relation for large size parameters. The suite of PGOM and II-TM will represent state-of-the-art light scattering computational capabilities, with a wide range of applications in atmospheric/oceanic radiative transfer and remote sensing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.