Abstract

Analytical expressions for the radiance produced by cw and pulsed laser beams transversing a particulate multiple-scattering medium are derived using radiative transfer theory and the small-angle approximation. In addition, analytical expressions for the mean-square spread of the radiant flux produced by cw illumination, and for the multipath time spread of the radiant flux produced by pulsed illumination are developed and compared with previously reported numerical and experimental results for laser beam propagation through fogs and clouds.

© 1977 Optical Society of America

Limitations of approximate Fourier techniques in solving radiative-transfer problems

L. B. Stotts
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(12) 1719-1722 (1979)

Laser beam propagation in particulate media

W. G. Tam and A. Zardecki
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(1) 68-70 (1979)

Propagation of pulsed beam waves through turbulence, cloud, rain, or fog

C. H. Liu and K. C. Yeh
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(9) 1261-1266 (1977)

Space–time distortion of laser pulses due to multiple scattering in particulate media

K. Altmann
Appl. Opt. 27(12) 2451-2460 (1988)

Underwater measurements of off-axis radiance compared with various analytical treatments of the radiative transfer equation

R. Anderson and L. Stotts
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 72(6) 738-746 (1982)