Theoretical Fundamentals Of Atmospheric Optics

Contents:

THE SOLAR SYSTEM: PLANETS AND THE SUN • The planets of the solar system • Main parameters of the atmosphere of the planets • Special features of the orbit of the Earth • The Sun and its radiation

ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARTH • Division of the atmosphere into layers • Spatial and time variability of the structural parameters of the atmosphere • Gas composition of the atmosphere • .Atmospheric aerosol • Clouds and precipitation

PROPAGATION OF RADIATION IN THE ATMOSPHERE • Electromagnetic waves • Intensity and radiation flux • Characteristics of interaction of radiation with a medium • Radiation transfer equation • Complex refraction index. Polarisation of radiation. Stokes parameters • Radiative transfer equation taking polarisation into account

MOLECULAR ABSORPTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE • The general characteristic of molecular absorption in the atmosphere of the Earth • Different types of molecular absorption • Absorption spectra of atmospheric gases • Quantitative description of molecular absorption • The shape of spectral absorption lines • Quantitative characteristics of molecular absorption • Molecular absorption in the Earth atmosphere

LIGHT SCATTERING IN THE ATMOSPHERE • Molecular scattering • Scattering and absorption on aerosol particles • Aerosol scattering and absorption in the atmosphere • Scattering of radiation with redistribution in respect of frequency • Atmospheric refraction • Optical phenomena in the atmosphere

OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF UNDERLYING SURFACES • Main special features of reflection of radiation • Quantitative characteristic of reflection of radiation (mirror reflection) • Quantitative characteristics of reflection of radiation (real surfaces) • Examples of the optical characteristics of underlying surfaces • Emitting properties of underlying surfaces

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE THEORY OF TRANSFER OF ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION • Transfer of thermal radiation • Transmittance functions of atmospheric gases • Methods of determination of transmittance functions • Approximate methods of radiation transfer theory • Thermal radiation fluxes • Non-equilibrium infrared radiation • Glow of the atmosphere

MAIN CONCEPTS OF THE THEORY OF SOLAR RADIATION TRANSFER • Multiple scattering of radiation • Analytical methods in radiation transfer theory • Numerical methods in the theory of radiation transfer • Algorithms and programmes for calculating radiation characteristics of the atmosphere (radiation codes)

RADIATION ENERGETICS OF THE ATMOSPHERE UNDERLYING SURFACE SYSTEM • Solar insolation at the upper boundary of the atmosphere • Radiation balance of the surface • Radiation balance of the atmosphere • Radiation balance of the planet • Radiation factors of climate changes

RADIATION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THE OPTICAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF ATMOSPHERES OF PLANETS • Direct and inverse problems of the theory of transfer of radiation and atmospheric optics • Remote measurement methods • Classifications of remote measurement methods • Remote methods of measurement based on measurements of attenuation (absorption) of radiation • Remote methods using measurements of atmospheric radiation • Remote measurement methods based on recording the scattered and reflected solar radiation • Active remote measurements methods

APPENDIX. FUNDAMENTAL UNITS IN ATMOSPHERIC OPTICS AND PHYSICS • Molecular mass of dry and moist air • Units of measurement of temperature, air pressure and gas composition of the atmosphere • Units of measurement of the concentration of water vapour • Gas content and units of measurement • Units of measurement of spectral intensities in radiation fluxes Planck formula in different units • Units of measurement of the coefficients of molecular scattering and absorption • Units of measurement of the concentration of aerosols and volume coefficients of aerosol extinction
References • Index

 

About the Author:

Prof. Yurii Mikhailovich Timofeyev graduated from the Faculty of Physics of the Leningrad State University in 1963 and he is now the Chair of the Department of Atmospheric Physics at the St. Petersburg State University.

His scientific interests include investigations in the field of atmospheric optics, theory of radiation transfer, remote sensing of the underlying surface, interpretation and validation of satellite measurements. He is the author of more than 200 articles and 5 monographs. Prof. Timofeyev was the principal investigator of the first Soviet space experiment on thermal sounding of the atmosphere carried out in 1971 with the Meteor satellite. In recent years, he took part in the space-borne and ground-based experiments investigating the gaseous composition of the atmosphere (Ozon-Mir, Fenix, Crista, SAGE III) and has been the principal investigator (for the Russian side) of a number of international projects and contracts (NASA-MIR ESA ESTEC, AFGL, APL (USA), Alabama University (USA) and the Max-Planck Institute (Germany)).

In 1991, he was awarded the Max Planck Prize (together with Prof. H. Grassl) and in 2004 he received the Prize of the St. Petersburg State University for Scientific Achievements.

Aleksander Vladimirovich Vasil'ev  graduated from the Faculty of Physics of the St. Petersburg State University in 1984. He is now an Associated Professor at the Department of Atmospheric Physics. He took part in airborne, shipborne and ground-based measurements of the radiation field in the atmosphere and of the optical characteristics of underlying surfaces and worked on the development of algorithms for processing and interpreting the data recorded in these measurements. He specialises in aerosol optics, examination of multiple scattering in radiation transfer problems, and mathematical modelling and interpretation of remote optical measurements in the atmosphere of the Earth and planets.