ESTIMATING THE NOISE POWER OF THE BACKSCATTERING OF LIGHT BY AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS IN FOG

Based on the small-angle diffusion approximation of radiation-transfer theory, the noise power is calculated for backscattering from the fog lamps of an automobile and of the high-beam and low-beam headlights u nder conditions of multiple scattering, taking into account the angula r dependence of the scattering distribution close to the backward dire ction. Cases of different relative positions of the driver and the lam p are considered. Examples are used to illustrate the effect of the mo unting parameters of the headlight and its light distribution on optic al noise in an active visual system. (C) 1997 The Optical Society of A merica.