Distributed Ray Tracing of Mirages

To further increase the realism of ray tracing, we take the idea of distributed ray tracing and add on to it mirage rendering. Mirages are seen quite often in our daily lives, and in order to make computer generated images look as realistic as possible, it is necessary to add things, such as mirage rendering, that are seen in the natural world. Mirages are caused by light passing from colder air to warmer air. When this happens, the light bends in relation to the temperature gradient [Wikipedia 2007]. Mirages can be most often found on roadways and on the hoods of cars, looking somewhat like a liquid. In this paper, mirage rendering will be implemented using a technique described by Berger, Trout, and Levit wherein the parabolic equation that mirages adhere to is approximated using a multilayered box capable of internal reflectance and refraction [1990]. CR Categories: I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image Generation; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism;