A time-resolved Monte Carlo smoke model for use at optical and infrared frequencies

• This model narrows the gap between theoretical models and experimentation.
• The model is a time-resolved Monte Carlo-based model for wave – particle interaction.
• We propose a general model for propagation of signals through particle-filled media.
• The model is aimed for remote-sensing applications with an eye on fire safety.
• A high-performance parallel implementation of the model proposed is done in a GPU.

This paper describes a statistical smoke model which can be of help to validate applications and technologies which imply propagation of electromagnetic waves through smoke-filled atmospheres. The approach followed is a time-resolved Monte Carlo simulation for use in quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of different types of smokes. The model has been designed to operate at optical and infrared frequencies for short distance propagation, although it can be extended to other frequencies and longer propagation distances. The simulation environment has been treated from both an optical and a geometrical point of view, and a flexible and convenient simulation framework has been presented. The model can be fed with data from types of smoke with arbitrary distributions of particle sizes and optical behaviors. Also, different emitter, receiver and obstacle geometries can be defined. An extended set of simulation setups shows the preliminary potential of the model.