Ballistic cluster–cluster aggregation model optimization

In this paper, an optimized model based on the ballistic cluster–cluster aggregation model is proposed to study the optical properties of aggregated particle structures. The critical improvement of the optimized model is the ability to arbitrarily select the original number of particles in the simulation and set different sizes of particles, whereas the original model is limited to 2n particles. Herein, the discrete dipole approximation method was used to calculate the optical extinction properties of the aggregation structure. First, the effect of porosity, which is a significant parameter, is explored, and acceptable error values are calculated. Second, simulations are performed using the optimized model for conditions applicable to the original model (N = 2n), and the difference between the two model calculations is assessed. Finally, the extinction performance of the aggregate with an arbitrary number of particles (N ≠ 2n) simulated by the optimized model is calculated and compared with the results obtained by the interpolation method. The numerical results verify the generalizability and accuracy of the optimized model.