INCORPORATION OF POLARIZATION EFFECTS IN MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER

Abstract

The electric field vector of individual photons has been incorporated into Monte Carlo simulations of radiative heat transfer to examine the effects of polarisation on the optical properties of arrays of fixed discrete surfaces. Simulations are performed on arrays that have specular surfaces with high and low reflectivity. Two different arrays are illuminated by polarized and unpolarized light and compared with conventional Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that if the initial illumination is either partially or fully polarized, polarization effects are substantial, especially for low-reflectivity surfaces and for arrays that favor a large number of grazing-angte reflections.