Jacobian transformed and detailed balance approximations for photon induced scattering

Photon emission and scattering are enhanced by the number of photons in the final state, and the photon transport equation reflects this in scattering-emission kernels and source terms. This is often a complication in both theoretical and numerical analyzes, requiring approximations and assumptions about background and material temperatures, incident and exiting photon energies, local thermodynamic equilibrium, plus other related aspects of photon scattering and emission. We review earlier schemes parameterizing photon scattering-emission processes, and suggest two alternative schemes. One links the product of photon and electron distributions in the final state to the product in the initial state by Jacobian transformation of kinematical variables (energy and angle), and the other links integrands of scattering kernels in a detailed balance requirement for overall (integrated) induced effects. Compton and inverse Compton differential scattering cross sections are detailed in appropriate limits, numerical integrations are performed over the induced scattering kernel, and for tabulation induced scattering terms are incorporated into effective cross sections for comparisons and numerical estimates. Relativistic electron distributions are assumed for calculations. Both Wien and Planckian distributions are contrasted for impact on induced scattering as LTE limit points. We find that both transformed and balanced approximations suggest larger induced scattering effects at high photon energies and low electron temperatures, and smaller effects in the opposite limits, compared to previous analyzes, with 10-20% increases in effective cross sections. We also note that both approximations can be simply implemented within existing transport modules or opacity processors as an additional term in the effective scattering cross section. Applications and comparisons include effective cross sections, kernel approximations, and impacts on radiative transport solutions in 1D geometry. The additional computing time for processing opacities (cross sections) within these approximations is negligible as induced terms are merely added (multipliers) to cross sections at the end of the processing cycle.

► Approximation schemes for induced photon scattering extend very early work. ► Improvements range 10%-20% better for effective scattering cross sections and can be easily computed. ► Computing cost of implementing induced scattering effects in opacity libraries is virtually zero. ► Approximations recover earlier work in appropriate limits but are simpler in numerical application. ► The approximations detailed are more transparent physically than earlier ones.