  We present a new radiative transfer method Short-N Characteristics that is a
hybrid between the standard long characteristic methods and the standard short
characteristic methods. We have implemented the numerical method within the
SPECT3D imaging and spectral analysis application. Numerical experiments have
shown that the short-N method is capable of reproducing the accuracy of the
long characteristic methods, while delivering the CPU time efficiency of the
short characteristic methods. We apply the short-N method to 2.5D cylindrical
coordinates, i.e., we assume a 3D problem under azimuthal symmetry leading to a
2D mathematical problem with r-z as the independent spatial coordinates (2DRZ).
We are currently working to extend this new method to other geometries.
