ANALYTICAL MULTIPLE-SCATTERING EXTENSION OF THE MIE THEORY .1. GENERAL DISCUSSION

Multiple scattering of light in aerosol is described in a simple picture within the framework of the Mie theory. Our approach leads to an analytical expression of the n-fold scattered electromagnetic field and then to a generalization of the optical parameters. The multiple scattering contributions are calculated avoiding the convergency and stability problems which are often encountered in standard numerical approaches. These problems occur due to the large number of events that have to be taken into account when large optical depths and/or a low signal to noise level exists. Such conditions are frequently encountered in atmospheric measurements.