Forward Monte Carlo computations of fully polarized microwave radiation in non-isotropic media

A completely forward Monte Carlo radiative transfer code has been developed with biasing techniques to efficiently solve the polarized radiative transfer equation for the full Stokes vector. The code has been adapted to accommodate plane parallel/3-D vertically/horizontally inhomogeneous scattering atmospheres in Cartesian geometries. Particular attention has been paid in stochastically treating the propagation, the emission and the scattering through anisotropic media particularly suited for clouds containing perfectly or partially oriented particles. Our modelling is very appealing because all its biasing techniques do not introduce unphysical Stokes vector. Numerical results and comparisons with benchmark tests are presented for verification. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.