The Monte Carlo (MC) method has been widely used to solve radiative transfer problems due to its flexibility and simplicity in simulating the energy transport process in arbitrary geometries with complex boundary conditions. However, the major drawback of the conventional (or forward) Monte Carlo method is the long computational time for converged solution. Reverse or backward Monte Carlo (RMC) is considered as an alternative approach when solutions are only needed at certain locations and time. The reverse algorithm is similar to the conventional method, except that the energy bundle (photons ensemble) is tracked in a time-reversal manner. Its migration is recorded from the detector into the participating medium, rather than from the source to the detector as in the conventional MC. There is no need to keep track of the bundles that do not reach a particular detector. Thus, RMC method takes up much less computation time than the conventional MC method. On the other hand, RMC will generate less information about the transport process as only the information at the specified locations, e.g., detectors, is obtained. In the situation where detailed information of radiative transport across the media is needed the RMC may not be appropriate. RMC algorithm is most suitable for diagnostic applications where inverse analysis is required, e.g., optical imaging and remote sensing. In this study, the development of a reverse Monte Carlo method for transient radiative transfer is presented. The results of non-emitting, absorbing, and anisotropically scattering media subjected to an ultra short light pulse irradiation are compared with the forward Monte Carlo and discrete ordinates methods results.
Extended reverse Monte Carlo method for extracting optical constants of thin Ni film from reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy
