Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing

Photopolarimetric remote sensing is vital in fields as diverse as medical diagnostics, astrophysics, atmospheric science, environmental monitoring and military intelligence. The areas considered here include: radiative transfer; dynamic systems; backscatter polarization; biological systems; astrophysical phenomena; comets; and instrumentation. Subtopics include observational information including determining morphology and chemistry, light-scattering models, and characterization methodologies. While this introductory text highlights the latest advances in this multi-disciplinary topic, it is also a reference guide for the advanced researcher.

Photopolarimetric remote sensing is vital in fields as diverse as medical diagnostics, astrophysics, atmospheric science, environmental monitoring and military intelligence. Subtopics include observational information including determining morphology and chemistry, light-scattering models, and characterization methodologies.

General Information.- Maxwell's Equations, Electromagnetic Waves, and Stokes Parameters.- Polarized Light Scattering by Large Nonspherical Particles.- Optimization of Numerical Inversion in Photopolarimetric Remote Sensing.- Radiative Transfer.- Eigenvalue Shifting - A New Analytical-Computational Method in Radiative Transfer Theory.- Quadratic Integrals in Inverse Problems with Multiple Scattering.- Dynamic Systems.- Polarization Fluctuation Spectroscopy.- Intensity and Polarization Fluctuation Statistics of Light Scattered by Systems of Particles.- Backscatter Polarization.- Scattering Properties of Planetary Regoliths Near Opposition.- Backscattering from Particles Near Planar Surfaces.- Backscattering Effects for Discrete Random Media: Theoretical Results.- Biological Systems.- Inverse Polarimetry, and Light Scattering from Leaves.- Optical Properties and Biomedical Applications of Nanostructures Based on Gold and Silver Bioconjugates.- Astrophysical Phenomena.- Polarization of Light by Pre-Main-Sequence Stars in the Visual Wavelengths.- Infrared Polarimetry of Interstellar Dust.- Measurements of General Magnetic Fields on Stars with Vigorous Convective Zones Using High-Accuracy Spectropolarimetry.- Polarimetry and Physics of Solar System Bodies.- Disk-Integrated Polarimetry of Mercury in 2000-2002.- Comets.- Polarimetry of Dust in the Solar System: Remote Observations, In-Situ Measurements and Experimental Simulations.- Polarimetry of Comets: Progress and Problems.- Characterization of Dust Particles Using Photopolarimetric Data: Example of Cometary Dust.- Photopolarimetry Instrumentation.- Invitation to Spectropolarimetry.- Astronomical Polarimeters and Features of Polarimetric Observations.