Monte Carlo based angular analysis of multiple scattered photons for underwater optical imaging

Image contrast and visibility associated with underwater optical imaging systems are usually degraded by the absorbing and scattering effects of turbid waters. To improve the image contrast, laser-range-gate has been widely applied to underwater optical imaging systems. The work of Katsev et al. (Appl.Opt. 38(33), 1999, pp. 6849–6858) shows that the contrast of a shadow image is greater than that of the object image. The present paper outlines a Monte Carlo based simulation method of image formation for underwater optical imaging. It is found that the contrast of a shadow image varies with gate starting depths. The angular distribution of multiply scattered photons is obtained via semi-analytical models (Shengfu Li et al., Opt.Commun. 381, 2016, pp. 43–47). The simulated results show that increasing the gate starting depth can reduce the highly backscattered photons, thus can improve the image contrast.