Optical remote sounding of aerosol formations on the base of numerical simulation of the scattering radiation

The multispectral remote sensing technique for aerosols observation (chimney smoke plumes of energy plants, vehicle engine exhausts etc.) is described. It is based on the measurements and analysis of the spectral angular distribution of the solar radiation scattered by the aerosol using a spectrometer and a TV camera linked to it in order to visualize the observed area of the object. The field of view of the spectrometer is depicted on the video frame as a slit. The measurements are assumed to be made from a helicopter, airplane or the ground surface. To solve the inverse problem the authors have to get the analytical expression for radiation escaped from the plume, which involves some unknown parameters, such as optical thickness and so on. The analytical approximation was obtained by fitting the numeric Monte-Carlo calculation curves. The values of the unknown parameters, including optical thickness and phase function parameter of aerosol particles are then calculated by using the least square non-linear regression method.