Monte Carlo simulations of the influence of particle nonsphericity on remote sensing of ocean water

The paper reports Monte Carlo modeling of backscatter returns of a laser be am from ocean water. The Monte Carlo code used for simulations employs the Stokes vector formalism to account for polarization effects at each scatter ing event, from either water or suspended particles, and at reflection from or transmission through a stochastic sea surface. Scattering from water an d suspended matter are considered separately. The Rayleigh-scattering phase function and Mueller matrix are used for modeling scattering from water. S everal forms of phase function and Mueller matrices are used to model scatt ering from the particles. Ensembles of spheres and spheroids with effective ly the same size distribution are considered. Mueller matrices and phase fu nctions computed by the T-matrix method for spheroids and Mie theory for sp heres are used in the Monte Carlo simulations, The polarization state of th e returns are compared for two cases of water containing spherical or spher oidal scattering particles. These are further compared with results derived from experimental data of Voss and Fry for the Mueller matrix of ocean wat er, which has a form characteristic of nonspherical particles, in combinati on with the Henyey-Greenstein phase function.