An improved version of the implicit integral method to solving radiative transfer problems

Radiative transfer (RT) problems in which the source function includes a scattering-like integral are typical two-points boundary problems. Their solution via differential equations implies making hypotheses on the solution itself, namely the specific intensity I (τ; n) of the radiation field. On the contrary, integral methods require making hypotheses on the source function S(τ). It seems of course more reasonable to make hypotheses on the latter because one can expect that the run of S(τ) with depth is smoother than that of I (τ; n). In previous works we assumed a piecewise parabolic approximation for the source function, which warrants the continuity of S(τ) and its first derivative at each depth point. Here we impose the continuity of the second derivative S′′(τ). In other words, we adopt a cubic spline representation to the source function, which highly stabilizes the numerical processes.     

On multi-region problems in radiative transfer

TheF _N method is used to solve radiative transfer problems, based on the general anisotropically scattering model, in multi-layer atmospheres.     

Generalised eddington approximation for radiative transfer problems in spherically-symmetric moving media

A moment method with three stream division of the radiation field was suggested by Wilson, Wan and Sen (1980) for solving radiative transfer problems in stationary, non-grey extended shells surrounding a central star. Use was made of the generalised Eddington relations as the closure conditions of the moment equations. In the present paper the same method has been utilised to study the radiative transfer problems in a non-grey, expanding gaseous spherical shells surrounding a central star. The transfer equation has been set in comoving frame in spherical geometry. The radiation and material quantities, angles and frequencies have been expressed in comoving frame. The mean intensity, flux and K-integrals have been calculated for extensive atmospheres in the presence of different velocity fields.     

Linear fREDHOLM integral equations for radiative transfer problems in finite plane parallel media. I. Imbedding in an infinite medium

Linear FREDHOLM integral equations are derived for the STOKES vector of the radiation emerging from a scattering plane parallel medium of finite optical thickness. The integral equations are obtained by means of imbedding the slab in an infinite medium. They are formulated in terms of GREEN 's function matrices and renormalized for the asymptotic eigenmode. Explicitly, linear integral equations are given for the reflection and transmission matrices. The reciprocity principle is employed to obtain integral equations also for the mean intensity of the inner radiation field in the case of the slab albedo problem.     

On the integral equation method for radiative transfer past a rotating plate in unsteady flow

The transient effect on the flow of a thermally-radiating and electrically-conducting compressible gas in a rotating medium bounded by a vertical flat plate, is studied when the radiative flux satisfies the exact integral expression. The transience is provoked by a time-dependent perturbation on a constant plate temperature. The solution is constructed for the flow near and away from the plate by the Laplace transform method. The results are compared with the recent work of Bestman and Adjepong (1988).     

Unified structure of analytical solutions for radiative transfer problems in plane-parallel,homogeneous media

The basic concepts for developing a system of analytic solutions for the standard problems of radiative transfer theory are discussed. These solutions, which are found using Ambartsumyan’s layer addition method in Sobolev’s probabilistic interpretation for radiative diffusion problems, are maximally compact and easily used in numerical computations. New expressions are obtained for the resolvents and the resolvent functions, as well as a unified structure for the form of an integral representation for solving different radiative transfer problems in semi-infinite media and in finite layers. Block diagrams of the sequence of stages for solving these problems are provided, where the Ambartsumyan function φ(η) (more precisely, 1/φ(η)) plays a fundamental role in the case of semi-infinite media while the functions a(η, τ₀ ) and b(η, τ₀) play an analogous role for finite layers.     

A note on modified spherical-harmonic method for radiative transfer problems with reflective boundary conditions

The modified double-interval spherical-harmonic method is used to compute the radiative flux in a linearly anisotropically scattering plane-parallel medium with specularly and diffusely reflecting boundaries.     

Contribution functions for polarized radiative transfer

The concepts of contribution functions (CF) and of mean depths of line formation of unpolarized light as well as of Stokes profiles will be critically discussed. After having outlined the historical development arguments are given in favour of the use of directly observable quantities such as the emergent line intensity or the polarized components seen through polarization optics only. The arguments are provided by a probability interpretation of the CF; the ambiguities of line depression CF as well as some physically strange features in Stokes profiles are avoided if the rules based on this interpretation are observed. Some problems of the interpretation of measurements in chromospheric lines will be discussed as well.     

Probabilistic model for radiative transfer problems in cylindrical shell media with complete redistribution in frequency

A probabilistic model for solving transfer problems in non-homogeneous, isotropic, and non-coherent scattering cylindrical shell media has been proposed. The source function is considered to be frequency independent. The scattering and transmission functions have been defined for the case of complete redistribution in frequency. A tractable integrodifferential equation for the scattering function has been derived.     

Advances in radiative transfer

This review describes advances in radiative transfer theory since about 1985. We stress fundamental aspects and emphasize modern methods for the numerical solution of the transfer equation for spatially multidimensional problems, for both unpolarized and polarized radiation. We restrict the discussion to two-level atoms with noninverted populations for given temperature, density and velocity fields. Unfortunately this article was originally published with typesetter's errors: The correct publication date was 25 February 2006, not 3 January 2006. The content was not in the final form. The publishers wish to apologize for this mistake. The online version of the original version can be found at /10.1007/s00159-005-0025-8.     

OnH-functions of radiative transfer

Chandrasekhar'sH-functionH(z) corresponding to the dispersion functionT(z)=| _rs –frs(z)|, where [f _rs (z)] is of rank 1, is obtained in terms of a Cauchy integral whose density functionQ(x, ₁, ₂,...) can be approximated by approximating polynomials (uniformly converging toQ(x)) having their coefficients expressed as known functions of the parameters _r 's. A closed form approximation ofH(z) to a sufficiently high degree of accuracy is then readily available by term by term integration.     

Estimate of the accuracy of depth asymptotics in some problems of radiative transfer

Principal Astronomical Observatory, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 403–418, May–June, 1991.     

Non-LTE polarized radiative transfer in intermediate magnetic fields: Numerical problems and results

This paper presents some numerical results relative to a solution, based on the density matrix formalism, of the non-LTE, polarized radiative transfer problem for a two-level atom. The results concern the atomic upper level population and alignment, and the emergent radiation Stokes profiles, for a plane-parallel, static, isothermal atmosphere embedded in a magnetic field of intermediate strength, such that the Zeeman splitting has to be taken into account in the line profile. Zeeman coherences are neglected, whereas magneto-optical effects are taken into account, resulting in a full 4×4 absorption matrix. Induced emission is neglected and complete frequency redistribution, in the rest and laboratory frames, is assumed. Pure Doppler absorption profile (gaussian shape) has also been assumed. The presentation of the results is preceded by a brief discussion of their accuracy and of the numerical difficulties that were met in the solution of the problem.On leave from the Dipartimento di Astronomia e Scienza dello Spazio, Università di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italia     

A new exact method for line radiative transfer

We present a new method, the coupled escape probability (CEP), for exact calculation of line emission from multi-level systems, solving only algebraic equations for the level populations. The CEP formulation of the classical two-level problem is a set of linear equations , and we uncover an exact analytic expression for the emission from two-level optically thick sources that holds as long as they are in the 'effectively thin' regime. In a comparative study of a number of standard problems, the CEP method outperformed the leading line transfer methods by substantial margins.
The algebraic equations employed by our new method are already incorporated in numerous codes based on the escape probability approximation. All that is required for an exact solution with these existing codes is to augment the expression for the escape probability with simple zone-coupling terms. As an application, we find that standard escape probability calculations generally produce the correct cooling emission by the C  ii 158-μm line but not by the ³P lines of O  i .     

General variational method for Milne's integral equation

In this paper, we establish a general variational method for Milne's integral equation. Moreover, a recursive computational algorithm for the method is also constructed. To illustrate the precision of the method as well as the computational algorithm, a numerical example forN=20 is given.