Colloquium: Gorden Videen

Location

Physics : 401

Date & Time

November 30, 2016, 3:30 pm4:30 pm

Description

TITLE: Light Scattering and Remote Sensing of Small Particles

ABSTRACT:
Unless we are looking at a light source, all the light that we see has been scattered. The way that light is scattered and absorbed is determined by the composition and morphology of the particles with which the light has interacted. The goal of remote sensing is to gain information about those particles from their scattered light, the so-called inverse problem. It has long been recognized that an exact solution to this problem cannot be achieved. However, recent advances have allowed us to place constraints on the system, that when combined with a priori knowledge, can provide significant information. I plan to illustrate remote sensing of particles using examples of terrestrial and planetary science.