A new full-wave computational electromagnetics (CEM) approach to precipitation particle scattering analysis based primarily on a higher-order method of moments (MoM) for solving surface integral equations (SIEs) is proposed, as an alternative and addition to the conventionally used tools in this area. This is a well-established CEM approach that has not been applied, evaluated, discussed, or compared with other approaches in the scattering analysis of precipitation particles so far. Several characteristic examples of scattering from precipitation particles of various shapes demonstrate the capabilities and potential of the presented numerical methodology, and discuss its advantages over both discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and -matrix methods in cases considered. In particular, it is shown that the higher-order MoM-SIE approach is much faster, more accurate, and more robust than the DDA method, and much more general and versatile than the -matrix method. In addition, the paper illustrates problems with the convergence of the DDA method in some cases with high-contrast dielectric materials and large electrical sizes of particles and with the convergence of the -matrix method in some cases with electrically large or geometrically complex (viz., with a large aspect ratio) particles. For simulations of continuously inhomogeneous scatterers (e.g., melting ice particles), a higher-order MoM volume integral equation (VIE) technique is used, as the study’s secondary methodology. The results also indicate the necessity for numerically rigorous and computationally efficient realistic precipitation particle modeling in weather scattering applications, which is becoming even more important as the sensor frequencies of radar/radiometric systems are increasing.

Studies of raindrop shapes, oscillation modes, and implications for radio wave propagation are presented. Drop shape measurements in natural rain using 2-D video disdrometers (2DVDs) are discussed. As a representative exception to vast majority of the cases where the "most probable" shapes conform to the axisymmetric (2,0) oscillation mode, an event with a highly organized line convection embedded within a larger rain system is studied. Measurements using two collocated 2DVD instruments and a C-band polarimetric radar clearly show the occurrence of mixed-mode drop oscillations within the line, which in turn is attributed to sustained drop collisions. Moreover, the fraction of asymmetric drops determined from the 2DVD camera data increases with the calculated collision probability when examined as time series. Recent wind-tunnel experiments of drop collisions are also discussed. They show mixed-mode oscillations, with (2,1) and (2,2) modes dramatically increasing in oscillation amplitudes, in addition to the (2,0) mode, immediately upon collision. The damping time constant of the perturbation caused by the collision is comparable to the inverse of the collision frequency within the line convection. Scattering calculations using an advanced method of moments numerical technique are performed to accurately and efficiently determine the pertinent parameters of electrically large oscillating raindrops with asymmetric shapes needed for radio wave propagation. The simulations show that the scattering matrix and differential reflectivity of drops are dependent on the particular oscillation modes and different time instants within the oscillation cycle. The technique can be utilized in conjunction with 3-D reconstruction of drop shapes from 2DVD data.

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