Vol. 21, issue 11, article # 2

Abstract:

The scattering phase functions for different orientations of hexagonal ice columns in the horizontal plane are considered. Tables of the scattered energy distribution over halo as a function of incidence angle and aspect ratio parameter of the crystal form are presented. It is shown that 50–75% of the scattered energy is redistributed among a small number (≤ 7) of halos. The polarization of the scattered light for different polarizations of the incident radiation is considered. The polarization degree of the scattered radiation is shown to be a qualitative indicator of the number of photon trajectories in a crystal, contributing mostly to the given scattering direction.

Keywords:

cirrus clouds, polarization, halo, phase matrix, ice crystals