Effect of changes in complex part of the refractive index on polarization of light scattered from haze and clouds

Abstract

The polarization and radiance of the reflected and transmitted radiation is calculated for a continental haze model and for a nimbostratus cloud model. The complex part of the index of refraction n(2) is varied from 0 to 1 in the calculation. Various surface albedos and optical thicknesses for the haze and cloud are considered. The polarization is an especially sensitive function of these parameters. For a thin cloud the reflected polarization depends strongly on the surface albedo. Large polarizations often occur, even at large optical thicknesses, when the single scattering albedo is small, because of the small number of multiple scattered photons. The mean optical path, diffuse flux, and cloud albedo are also discussed.