Light scattering overview |
  
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Light scattering overview |
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Explicit, individual scattering objects
Scattering of light can be simulated by curved geometric objects. You could add a glass sphere to your scenery, and rays hitting the sphere will change their direction according to the laws of reflection and refraction. Inside the sphere absorption may occur. If you want to introduce many explicit scatterers into your SPRAY model, please consider using a complex object.
Continuous scattering media
If you want to treat systems with many scattering objects like dust clouds or paints, and if these objects are small compared to the other geometric objects of the model, you can probably work with a continuum of scatterers. If SPRAY light rays move through such a continuum there is a certain chance for scattering and absorption per distance, depending on the shape, the optical constants and the density of the scatterers. If a scattering event occurs, the ray will take a new direction the probability of which is also a function of the particle's shape and optical constants.
The scattering and absorbing medium is characterized by the following quantities:
The scattering angle Θ is the angle between the direction of the incoming ray and that of the scattered ray. Up to now SPRAY assumes cylindrical symmetry of the scattered intensity around the initial direction - hence there is no Φ-dependence.
The following types of scatterers are implemented at present:
In the main window of SPRAY there is a button labeled Scatterers which gives access to the list of scatterers. This list manages the various scatterers of a SPRAY model.
Please consult the documentation on SPRAY examples for some applications of scatterers.