The Shadowing Effect for Regolith-like Surfaces

We describe a numerical model that allows the shadowing probability and photometric characteristics to be calculated in the general case of a disconnected multi-valued surface (regolith-like medium) in the single-scattering approximation when the phase function of a surface element is known. We inve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Solar system research 2001-11, Vol.35 (6), p.444-451
Main Authors: Grin'ko, E S, Stankevich, D G, Shkuratov, Yu G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Mathematical models
Meteorology
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Summary:We describe a numerical model that allows the shadowing probability and photometric characteristics to be calculated in the general case of a disconnected multi-valued surface (regolith-like medium) in the single-scattering approximation when the phase function of a surface element is known. We investigate a statistically homogeneous medium and a medium with a density gradient (along the normal to the mean surface) with Gaussian and fractal statistical properties. A comparison of the phase functions of reflectance for a disconnected multi-valued surface with those for the previously developed model of a medium composed of opaque spherical particles shows qualitative agreement. The results of our calculations are also compared with the phase function of brightness for the Moon's surface. The model is shown to yield a function that matches the observed one for phase angles ≤10° at very low densities of the medium. Achieving better agreement requires invoking additional mechanisms for the formation of the phase function of brightness.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0038-0946
1608-3423
DOI:10.1023/A:1013034828112