Convergence features of four Monte Carlo methods in the time domain

Different strategies for Monte Carlo simulations are currently used in tissue optics. In this work we analyze and compare four Monte Carlo methods based on different ways to extract the photons' trajectories. By using theoretical arguments we show that the four methods are statistically equivalent. Afterwards we study the convergence of the four methods both in time and continuous wave domains. Our results show that those Monte Carlo methods based on photons' annihilation or survival converge faster for continuous wave calculations and at shorter source-detector distances. On the contrary Monte Carlo methods based on weight assignment provide a better representation of the temporal point spread function in time domain. © 2013 Copyright SPIE.