Abstract
The density matrix approach to polarized radiative transfer is reviewed, with particular emphasis on the physical assumptions that are at the basis of the recent developments achieved by means of this formalism. In particular it is shown that two of the basic hypotheses (the hypothesis of neglecting correlation effects between thermal velocity and density matrix, and the hypothesis of neglecting atomic polarization in the atomic ground level) are highly questionable for the description of resonance polarization -and its modifications due to the presence of a magnetic field- in spectral lines formed in the solar atmosphere.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bommier, V.: 1977, Thèse de 3ème cycle, Université de Paris VI
Bommier, V., Landi Degl'Innocenti, E., and Sahal-Bréchot, S.: 1991, Astron. Astrophys. 244, 383
Bommier, V. and Sahal-Bréchot, S.: 1978, Astron. Astrophys. 69, 57
Faurobert-Scholl, M.: 1996, in these Proceedings
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1982, Solar Phys. 79, 291
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1983, Solar Phys. 85, 3
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1984, Solar Phys. 91, 1
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1985, Solar Phys. 102, 1
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1987, in W. Kalkofen (ed.), Numerical Radiative Transfer, Cambridge University Press, 265
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E. and Bommier, V.: 1994, Astron. Astrophys. 284, 865
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E., Bommier, V., and Sahal-Bréchot, S.: 1990, Astron. Astrophys. 235, 459
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E., Bommier, V., and Sahal-Bréchot, S.: 1991a, Astron. Astrophys. 244, 391
Landi Degl'Innocenti, E., Bommier, V., and Sahal-Bréchot, S.: 1991b, Astron. Astrophys. 244, 401
Landolfi, M. and Landi Degl'Innocenti, E.: 1986, Astron. Astrophys. 167, 200
Mihalas, D.: 1978, Stellar Atmospheres, 2nd Ed., W.H. Freeman and Co., New York
Omont, A.: 1977, Prog. Quantum Electron. 5, 69
Omont, A., Smith, E.W., and Cooper, J.: 1972, Astrophys. Journ. 175, 185
Omont, A., Smith, E.W., and Cooper, J.: 1973, Astrophys. Journ. 182, 283
Stenflo, J.O.: 1996, in these Proceedings
von Neumann, J.: 1927, Göttingen Nachrichten 245
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
On leave from the Dipartimento di Astronomia e Scienza dello Spazio, Università di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italia
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Landi Degl'innocenti, E. The density matrix approach to polarized radiative transfer. Sol Phys 164, 21–28 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146620
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146620