Author: Petrov D. V., Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, RAS

Title: The shape matrix method and its application for interpreting polarimetric observations of atmosphereless Solar System bodies and comet atmospheres

Abstracts:
Scattered light carries a vast amount of information about the object with which the light has interacted. This is why the study of electromagnetic wave scattering processes has been the subject of numerous long-term research efforts.

The study of scattered light is of particular importance in astronomy, as light scattered by Solar System objects often serves as the only source of information about the properties of dust on the surface of a cosmic body or within a cometary atmosphere.

Consequently, a shape matrix method has been developed to model the characteristics of light scattered by irregularly shaped particles. This method has been applied both for the theoretical description of the light scattering features of particles with various shapes, sizes, and refractive indices, and for interpreting polarimetric observational data of Solar System objects such as comets and asteroids.