RADIATIVE-TRANSFER IN A SPHERICAL MEDIUM BY THE VARIATIONAL POMRANING-EDDINGTON TECHNIQUE

Radiative transfer through a participating, homogeneous, spherical med ium is considered. The solution of the problem containing an energy so urce in a medium of diffuse reflecting boundaries is given in terms of the solution of the source-free problem with transparent boundaries. The source-free problem is solved by using the Pomraning-Eddington app roximation. The variational method is used to find the solution consta nts. The partial fluxes at the boundaries of solid spheres and spheric al shells of transparent or diffuse reflecting boundaries are calculat ed. The results are compared with those of the Galerkin technique. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.