Black-body radiation: Difference between revisions

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imported>Niek Sanders
(Added BB picture and prose.)
imported>Niek Sanders
m (Minor clarifications.)
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Note that the input <math>\lambda</math> is in meters and that the output is a spectral irradiance in <math>[W/m^2*m]</math>.  Omitting the <math>\pi</math> term from the numerator gives the blackbody emission in terms of radiance, with units <math>[W/m^2*sr*m]</math> where "sr" is [[steradians]].
Note that the input <math>\lambda</math> is in meters and that the output is a spectral irradiance in <math>[W/m^2*m]</math>.  Omitting the <math>\pi</math> term from the numerator gives the blackbody emission in terms of radiance, with units <math>[W/m^2*sr*m]</math> where "sr" is [[steradians]].  There is a different formulation of the Planck equation in terms of frequency.


Taking the first derivative leads to the wavelength with maximum exitance.  This is known as the [[Wien Displacement Law]].   
Taking the first derivative leads to the wavelength with maximum exitance.  This is known as the [[Wien Displacement Law]].   
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[[image:blackbody_300k.png|right|Spectral Exitance for 300K Blackbody]]
[[image:blackbody_300k.png|right|Spectral Exitance for 300K Blackbody]]


An object at 300K (~30 Celsius) has a peak emission 9.66 microns.  It has virtually no self-emission before 2.50 microns, hence self-emission is typically associated with the "thermal" regions of the EM spectrum.  However, the Sun has a peak emission around 0.49 microns which is in the visible region of spectrum.
An ideal blackbody at 300K (~30 Celsius) has a peak emission 9.66 microns.  It has virtually no self-emission before 2.5 microns, hence self-emission is typically associated with the "thermal" regions of the EM spectrum.  However, the Sun has a peak emission around 0.49 microns which is in the visible region of spectrum.


[[Category:Physics Workgroup]]
[[Category:Physics Workgroup]]

Revision as of 05:03, 18 September 2007

Planck's blackbody equation describes the spectral exitance of an ideal blackbody.

where:

Symbol Units Description
Input wavelength
Input temperature
Planck's constant
Speed of light in vacuum
Boltzmann constant

Note that the input is in meters and that the output is a spectral irradiance in . Omitting the term from the numerator gives the blackbody emission in terms of radiance, with units where "sr" is steradians. There is a different formulation of the Planck equation in terms of frequency.

Taking the first derivative leads to the wavelength with maximum exitance. This is known as the Wien Displacement Law.

A closed form solution exists for the integral of the Planck blackbody equation over the entire spectrum. This is the Stefan-Boltzmann equation. In general, there is no known closed-form solution for the definite integral of the Planck blackbody equation; numerical integration techniques must be used.

The relationship between the ideal blackbody exitance and the actual exitance of a surface is given by emissivity.

Spectral Exitance for 300K Blackbody

An ideal blackbody at 300K (~30 Celsius) has a peak emission 9.66 microns. It has virtually no self-emission before 2.5 microns, hence self-emission is typically associated with the "thermal" regions of the EM spectrum. However, the Sun has a peak emission around 0.49 microns which is in the visible region of spectrum.