International Journal of Frontiers in Engineering Technology, 2025, 7(4); doi: 10.25236/IJFET.2025.070408.
Fangming Yang1, Yonglu Jiao2
1School of Information Engineering, Xi'an Fanyi University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
2Xi'an iFlytek Super Brain Information Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
The propagation of light in underwater environments is significantly influenced by flow-induced refractive index perturbations. In this study, we develop a time-dependent refractive index field model derived from vortex-induced density fluctuations, with a focus on simulating the near-field wake behind underwater vehicles. The refractive index field n (x, y, z, t) is formulated based on velocity disturbances modeled by a Gaussian-like dynamic vortex or Lamb-Oseen formulation. By combining this dynamic refractive field with a Monte Carlo ray tracing approach, we simulate the evolution of light paths through a spatially and temporally varying underwater medium. The results reveal distinct beam deflection, focal shift, and energy redistribution phenomena that evolve with the vortex's spatial-temporal dynamics. The proposed framework provides a physically grounded approach for predicting optical distortion in flow-affected underwater applications and offers valuable insight into the coupling between fluid dynamics and light propagation.
Underwater Optics; Vortex Flow; Refractive Index Perturbation; Monte Carlo Simulation; Light Scattering; Geometric Optics
Fangming Yang, Yonglu Jiao. Modeling of Dynamic Vortex-Induced Refractive Fields and Their Effects on Light Propagation in Underwater Environments. International Journal of Frontiers in Engineering Technology (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 4: 51-58. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFET.2025.070408.
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