INFLUENCE OF PARTICLE-SHAPE ON THE POLARIZED RADIATION IN PLANETARY-ATMOSPHERES

In this paper we present numerical results of multiple scattering comp utations for the polarized radiation inside plane-parallel homogeneous atmospheres containing randomly-oriented nonspherical particles. Effe cts of the particle shape on the polarized radiation are investigated. For that purpose we compare computational results for the intensity, the degree of linear polarization and the degree of circular polarizat ion as functions of the nadir angle in a number of atmospheres, each o f which contains randomly-oriented spheroids or cylinders. We consider atmospheres with optical thickness 1 as well as 10. Comparison of res ults pertaining to atmospheres containing different particles shows th at the angular distributions of the intensity are almost the same, whe reas those of the degree of polarization clearly differ.