ABSTRACT Three-dimensional radiative heat transfer in a finite medium will be studied theoretically and experimentally. The emphasis of the investigation is to determine the effects of multiple scattering and polarization in media that contain Mie-scattering particles. The theoretical work will involve solving the vector radiative transport equation written in terms of the Stokes parameter and the scattering phase function expressed by a 4x4 phase matrix. Double Fourier transform will be used to transform the transport equation into one-dimensional form and the resulting equation will be solved by Ambartsumian's method. Back-scattered radiation from a medium composed of latex microspheres suspended in distilled water will be measured and the results will be used for model validation.
