Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Radiation Transfer in Plane-Parallel Semi-Transparent Media with Continuous Variable Refractive Index

The discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element method (FEM) is used to solve the radiative transfer equation (RTE) for plane-parallel problems involving absorption, emission, and scattering with the semitransparent media with continuous variable refractive index. The DG approach discretizes both spatial and angular directions. This study examines the influence of refractive index gradients on radiative intensity in scattering media with spatial variability. The saDG method demonstrates accurate and efficient resolution of radiative heat transfer challenges in semitransparent media with spatially varying absorption, emission, scattering, and graded indexes.