Spherical Radiative Transfer in C++ (SRTC++): A Parallel Monte Carlo Radiative Transfer Model for Titan

• Published in: The Astronomical journal Vol. 155; no. 6; pp. 264 - 275
• Main Authors: Barnes, Jason W., MacKenzie, Shannon M., Young, Eliot F., Trouille, Laura E., Rodriguez, Sèbastien, Cornet, Thomas, Jackson, Brian K., Ádámkovics, Máté, Sotin, Christophe, Soderblom, Jason M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison The American Astronomical Society 01.06.2018; IOP Publishing; American Astronomical Society
• Subjects: ALBEDO; Astronomy; Astrophysics; C (programming language); COMPUTER CODES; Computer simulation; Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND COMPUTING; Meteorological satellites; MONTE CARLO METHOD; MOON; Non-Lambertian surfaces; Nonuniformity; Object oriented programming; Object-oriented languages; PARALLEL PROCESSING; Physics; planets and satellites: individual (Titan); PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES; RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER; Radiative transfer; REFLECTION; Saturn; SATURN PLANET; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; Titan
• ISSN: 0004-6256; 1538-3881; 1538-3881
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aac2db

We present a new computer program, SRTC++, to solve spatial problems associated with explorations of Saturn's moon Titan. The program implements a three-dimensional structure well-suited to addressing shortcomings arising from plane-parallel radiative transfer approaches. SRTC++'s design uses parallel processing in an object-oriented, compiled computer language (C++) leading to a flexible and fast architecture. We validate SRTC++ using analytical results, semianalytical radiative transfer expressions, and an existing Titan plane-parallel model. SRTC++ complements existing approaches, addressing spatial problems like near-limb and near-terminator geometries, non-Lambertian surface phase functions (including specular reflections), and surface albedo nonuniformity.