Open AccessBackscattering peak of ice cloud particles
Author(s) -
Chen Zhou,
Ping Yang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.011995
Subject(s) - ice crystals , coherent backscattering , optics , wavelength , absorption (acoustics) , hexagonal crystal system , phase (matter) , mie scattering , lidar , scattering , physics , materials science , computational physics , light scattering , chemistry , quantum mechanics , crystallography
At a wavelength corresponding to negligible electromagnetic absorption by ice, rigorous numerical simulations based on solving Maxwell's equations show a backscattering peak associated with the phase function of randomly oriented hexagonal ice crystals. The backscattering peak, which has important implications to the interpretation of lidar observations, exists in the cases of smooth regular, smooth irregular, and roughened hexagonal ice crystals. The backscattering peak width is inversely proportional to the size parameter. The theoretical prediction of the backscattering peak is consistent with observations.