scholarly journals Optical depth in polarised Monte Carlo radiative transfer

2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten Baes ◽  
Christian Peest ◽  
Peter Camps ◽  
Ralf Siebenmorgen
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Closed Expression ◽  
Depth Scale ◽  
Path Lengths ◽  
Analytical Result ◽  
Free Path Lengths ◽  
Transfer Problems

Context. The Monte Carlo method is the most widely used method to solve radiative transfer problems in astronomy, especially in a fully general 3D geometry. A crucial concept in any Monte Carlo radiative transfer code is the random generation of the next interaction location. In polarised Monte Carlo radiative transfer with aligned non-spherical grains, the nature of dichroism complicates the concept of optical depth. Aims. We investigate, in detail, the relation between optical depth and the optical properties and density of the attenuating medium in polarised Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes that take dichroic extinction into account. Methods. Based on solutions for the radiative transfer equation, we discuss the optical depth scale in polarised radiative transfer with spheroidal grains. We compare the dichroic optical depth to the extinction and total optical depth scale. Results. In a dichroic medium, the optical depth is not equal to the usual extinction optical depth, nor to the total optical depth. For representative values of the optical properties of dust grains, the dichroic optical depth can differ from the extinction or total optical depth by several tens of percent. A closed expression for the dichroic optical depth cannot be given, but it can be derived efficiently through an algorithm that is based on the analytical result corresponding to elongated grains with a uniform grain alignment. Conclusions. Optical depth is more complex in dichroic media than in systems without dichroic attenuation, and this complexity needs to be considered when generating random free path lengths in Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations. There is no benefit in using approximations instead of the dichroic optical depth.

Moment-Based Acceleration of Monte Carlo Solution for Multifrequency Thermal Radiative Transfer Problems

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (1-7) ◽  
pp. 314-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Park ◽  
D. A. Knoll ◽  
R. M. Rauenzahn ◽  
A. B. Wollaber ◽  
R. B. Lowrie
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Thermal Radiative Transfer ◽  
Transfer Problems

scholarly journals Irradiance and atmospheric optical properties from photovoltaic power data: model improvements and first results

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Barry ◽  
Dirk Böttcher ◽  
Johannes Grabenstein ◽  
Klaus Pfeilsticker ◽  
Anna Herman-Czezuch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Forward Model ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Cloud Optical Depth ◽  
First Results ◽  
Weather Models

<p>Photovoltaic (PV) power data are a valuable but as yet under-utilised resource that could be used to characterise global irradiance with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution. The resulting knowledge of atmospheric conditions can then be fed back into weather models and will ultimately serve to improve forecasts of PV power itself. This provides a data-driven alternative to statistical methods that use post-processing to overcome inconsistencies between ground-based irradiance measurements and the corresponding predictions of regional weather models (see for instance Frank et al., 2018). This work reports first results from an algorithm developed to infer global horizontal irradiance as well as atmospheric optical properties such as aerosol or cloud optical depth from PV power measurements.</p><p>Building on previous work (Buchmann, 2018), an improved forward model of PV power as a function of atmospheric conditions was developed. As part of the BMWi-funded project MetPVNet, PV power data from twenty systems in the Allgäu region were made available, and the corresponding irradiance, temperature and wind speed were measured during two measurement campaigns in autumn 2018 and summer 2019. System calibration was performed using all available clear sky days; the corresponding irradiance was simulated using libRadtran (Emde et al., 2016). Particular attention was paid to describing the dynamic variations in PV module temperature in order to correctly take into account the heat capacity of the solar panels.</p><p>PV power data from the calibrated systems were then used together with both the DISORT and MYSTIC radiative transfer codes (Emde et al., 2016) to infer aerosol optical depth, cloud optical depth and irradiance under all sky conditions.  The results were compared to predictions from the COSMO weather model, and the accuracy of the inverted quantities was compared using both a simple and more complex forward model. The potential of the method to extract irradiance data over a larger area as well as the increase in information from combining neighbouring PV systems will be explored in future work.</p><p><strong>References</strong><br>  <br>Buchmann, T., 2018: Potenzial von Photovoltaikanlagen zur Ableitung raum-zeitlich hoch aufgelöster Globalstrahlungsdaten. Heidelberg University, http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/24687/.<br>Emde, C., and Coauthors, 2016: The libRadtran software package for radiative transfer calculations (version 2.0.1). <em>Geosci. Model Dev.</em>, 9, 1647–1672, doi:10.5194/gmd-9-1647-2016. https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/1647/2016/.<br>Frank, C. W., S. Wahl, J. D. Keller, B. Pospichal, A. Hense, and S. Crewell, 2018: Bias correction of a novel European reanalysis data set for solar energy applications.<em> Sol. Energy</em>, 164, 12–24, doi:10.1016/j.solener.2018.02.012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2018.02.012.</p>

scholarly journals Quasars at the Cosmic Dawn: effects on Reionization properties in cosmological simulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (S333) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Enrico Garaldi ◽  
Michele Compostella ◽  
Cristiano Porciani
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Temperature Evolution ◽  
Cosmological Simulations ◽  
Dominant Source ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations

AbstractWe study a model of cosmic reionization where quasars (QSOs) are the dominant source of ionizing photons at all relevant epochs. We employ a suite of adaptive hydrodynamical simulations post-processed with a multi-wavelength Monte Carlo radiative-transfer code and calibrate them in order to accurately reproduce the observed quasar luminosity function and emissivity evolution. Our results show that the QSO-only model fails in reproducing key observables linked to the Helium reionization, as the temperature evolution of the inter-galactic medium (IGM) and the HeII effective optical depth in synthetic Lyα spectra. Nevertheless, we find hints that an increased quasar contribution can explain recent measurements of a large inhomogeneity in the IGM at redshift z ≈ 5. Finally, we devise a method capable of constraining the QSOs contribution to the reionization from the properties of the HeII Lyα forest at z ≈ 3.5.

scholarly journals Impact of mineral dust on shortwave and longwave radiation: evaluation of different vertically-resolved parameterizations in 1-D radiative transfer computations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria José Granados-Muñoz ◽  
Michael Sicard ◽  
Roberto Román ◽  
Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra ◽  
Rubén Barragán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Aerosol Optical Depth ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Radiative Fluxes ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
Aerosol Radiative

Abstract. Aerosol radiative properties are investigated in South-eastern Spain during a dust event on June 16–17, 2013 in the framework of the ChArMEx/ADRIMED (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment/Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region) campaign. Particle optical and microphysical properties from ground-based sun/sky photometer and lidar measurements, as well as in situ measurements onboard the SAFIRE ATR 42 French research aircraft are used to create a set of different levels of input parameterizations which feed the 1-D radiative transfer model (RTM) GAME (Global Atmospheric ModEl). We consider three datasets: 1) a first parametrization based on the retrievals by an advanced aerosol inversion code (GRASP; Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties) applied to combined photometer and lidar data; 2) a parameterization based on the photometer columnar optical properties and vertically-resolved lidar retrievals with the two-component Klett-Fernald algorithm; and 3) a parametrization based on vertically-resolved optical and microphysical aerosol properties measured in situ by the aircraft instrumentation. Once retrieved, the outputs of the RTM in terms of both shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes are contrasted against ground-, satellite- and in situ airborne measurements. In addition, the outputs of the model in terms of the aerosol direct radiative effect are discussed with respect to the different input parameterizations. Results show that calculated atmospheric radiative fluxes differ no more than 7 % to the measured ones. The three parametrization datasets produce aerosol radiative effects with differences up to 10 W m−2 in the shortwave spectral range (mostly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth), and 2 W m−2 for the longwave (mainly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth but also to the coarse mode radius used to calculate the radiative properties). The study reveals the complexity of parameterizing 1-D RTMs as sizing and characterising the optical properties of mineral dust is challenging. The use of advanced remote sensing data and processing, in combination with closure studies on the optical/microphysical properties from in situ aircraft measurements when available, is recommended.

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