The temporal Mueller matrix solution for polarimetric scattering from a layer of random non-spherical scatterers

The Mueller matrix solution of the vector radiative transfer equation with time dependence is derived in this paper. It is applied to simulation of polarimetric bistatic scattering from a layer of non-uniformly oriented, random non-spherical scatterers when a Gaussian plane pulse is incident upon. Co-polarized and cross-polarized bistatic scattering are numerically calculated. The pulse echoes are compared with the incidence, and demonstrate its functional dependence on the physical parameters of random medium, such as spatial orientation and fractional volume of scatterers, incidence angle and polarization, the layer depth and others. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.