Multiple Scattering Approximation in Heterogeneous Media by Narrow Beam Distributions

Fast realistic rendering of objects in scattering media is still a challenging topic in computer graphics. In presence of participating media, a light beam is repeatedly scattered by media particles, changing direction and getting spread out. Explicitly evaluating this beam distribution would enable efficient simulation of multiple scattering events without involving costly stochastic methods. Narrow beam theory provides explicit equations that approximate light propagation in a narrow incident beam. Based on this theory, we propose a closed-form distribution function for scattered beams. We successfully apply it to the image synthesis of scenes in which scattering occurs, and show that our proposed estimation method is more accurate than those based on the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) theory.